Both PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha are sufficient to induce transdifferentiation of goat fetal myoblasts into adipocytes.

The present study was conducted to investigate whether goat fetal myoblasts with no inherent adipogenic potential can be induced to transdifferentiate into adipocytes. Goat fetal myoblasts were transiently transfected by the adipogenic transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha (C/EBPalpha). Both PPARgamma and C/EBPalpha were capable of inducing adipogenic transdifferentiation as indicated by the appearance of mature adipocytes when the transfected cells were cultured in adipogenic differentiation medium (ADM). Ectopic expression of PPARgamma induced endogenous C/EBPalpha expression and vice versa only when the cells were cultured in ADM. Removal of troglitazone, a PPARgamma agonist, from the ADM resulted in a dramatic decline in the number of adipocytes, indicating that PPARgamma stimulation is necessary to induce adipogenic transdifferentiation of goat fetal myoblasts. These results demonstrate for the first time that primary cultured myoblasts can be transdifferentiated into adipocytes.