RNA-seq profiling of white and brown adipocyte differentiation treated with epigallocatechin gallate.

Due to serious adverse effects, many of the approved anti-obesity medicines have been withdrawn, and the selection of safer natural ingredients is of great interest. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is one of the major green tea catechins, and has been demonstrated to possess an anti-obesity function by regulating both white and brown adipose tissue activity. However, there are currently no publicly available studies describing the effects of EGCG on the two distinct adipose tissue transcriptomes. The stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cell derived from adipose tissue is a classic cell model for studying adipogenesis and fat accumulation. In the current study, primary WAT and BAT SVF cells were isolated and induced to adipogenic differentiation in the presence or absence of EGCG. RNA-seq was used to determine genes regulated by EGCG and identify the key differences between the two functionally distinct adipose tissues. Taken together, we provide detailed stage- and tissue-specific gene expression profiles affected by EGCG. These data will be valuable for obesity-related clinical/basic research.