Fig. 6: BA-specific c-Kit deletion reduces SCD1 and attenuates the growth of lipid droplets in BAs at thermoneutrality.
a Diagram depicting experimental procedure for the exposure of 8-week-old control (Con) and c-Kit∆BA mice to thermoneutrality (TN, 30 °C) for 3 or 5 days, and sampling and analyses. b–f Representative immunoblotting and comparisons of ACL, ACC, FASN, and SCD1 in BAT from Con and c-Kit∆BA mice at the thermoneutrality for 3 or 5 days (TN3 or TN5). The same amount of protein loading in each lane is verified by immunoblotting of tubulin1 for ACL and ACC, tubulin2 for FASN, and tubulin3 for SCD1. Each dot indicates a value from one mouse and n = 6 mice/group from two independent experiments. Vertical bars indicate mean ± SD. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 versus Con by two-tailed t-test. Protein sizes are indicated as kilodalton (kDa). g Comparisons of the proportions of palmitate (16:0), palmitoleate (16:1), stearate (C18:0), and oleate (C18:1) in total FFAs of BATs between Con versus c-Kit∆BA mice at the thermoneutrality for 3 days. SCD1 desaturation indices calculated by the ratio of 16:1/16:0 and 18:1/18:0 are shown. Each dot indicates a value from one mouse and n = 9–10 mice/group. Vertical bars indicate mean ± SD. *P < 0.05 versus Con by two-tailed t-test. NS, not significant. h, i Representative images and comparisons of the populations of different sizes of lipid droplets in BATs from Con and c-Kit∆BA mice at the thermoneutrality for 5 days (TN5). Scale bars, 20 µm. Each dot indicates the population (%) of total 1200–2400 droplets (100%) from three portions of BAT in one mouse and n = 5 mice/group from two independent experiments. Vertical bars indicate mean ± SD. **P < 0.01 versus Con by two-way ANOVA test followed by Sidak test. NS not significant.
