Methylome, transcriptome, and PPARγ cistrome analyses reveal two epigenetic transitions in fat cells

Although DNA modification is adaptive to extrinsic demands, little is known about epigenetic alterations associated with adipose differentiation and reprogramming. We systematically characterized the global trends of our methylome and transcriptome data with reported PPARγ cistrome data. Our analysis revealed that DNA methylation was altered between induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs). Surprisingly, DNA methylation was not obviously changed in differentiation from ADSCs to mature fat cells (FatCs). This indicates that epigenetic predetermination of the adipogenic fate is almost established prior to substantial expression of the lineage. Furthermore, the majority of the PPARγ cistrome corresponded to the pre-set methylation profile between ADSCs and FatCs. In contrast to the pre-set model, we found that a subset of PPARγ-binding sites for late-expressing genes such as Adiponectin and Adiponectin receptor2 were differentially methylated independently of the early program. Thus, these analyses identify two types of epigenetic mechanisms that distinguish the pre-set cell fate and later stages of adipose differentiation.