Contrasting effects of cold acclimation versus obesogenic diets on chemerin gene expression in brown and brite adipose tissues

• Acclimation to cold diminishes chemerin gene expression in brown and brite/beige adipose tissues.
• Adaptation to high-fat diets augments chemerin gene expression in brown and brite adipose tissues.
• Chemerin gene expression in brown and beige adipose tissue is distinct from that in white fat, muscle and liver.
• Norepinephrine does not regulate chemerin gene expression.
• The dynamic regulation of chemerin gene expression in brown and brite tissues indicates an important physiological role.

Based on results from a signal sequence trap, we investigated chemerin gene expression in brown adipose tissue. Male NMRI mice were exposed to 30, 22 or 4 °C for 3 weeks, or were fed control (chow) diet, cafeteria diet or high-fat diet at thermoneutrality for the same time. In brown adipose tissue, cold acclimation strongly diminished chemerin gene expression, whereas obesogenic diets augmented expression. Qualitatively, changes in expression were paralleled in brite/beige adipose tissues (e.g. inguinal), whereas white adipose tissue (epididymal) and muscle did not react to these cues. Changes in tissue expression were not directly paralleled by alterations in plasma levels. Both these intact animal studies and brown adipocyte cell culture studies indicated that the gene expression regulation was not congruent with a sympathetic/adrenergic control. The data are discussed in relation to suggested endocrine, paracrine and autocrine effects of chemerin.