Abstract
Mesoderm-specific transcript (Mest) is an imprinted gene that is predominantly expressed in the embryonic and extraembryonic mesoderm, and its gene expression is the marker of the size of adipocytes. To characterize the expression effect of Mest gene products, we transfected mouse Mest into the 3T3-L1 cell line, which is a mouse preadipocyte cell line. The proliferation of the transfected 3T3-L1 cells was assessed via 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetry, and cell growth was assessed by counting the nuclei stained by Hoechst 33258. The 3T3-L1 cells transfected with recombinant Mest cDNA acquired the increased cell growth ability. Therefore, the gene products of Mest could be related to not only adipocyte expansion and adiposity but also mesoderm formation by enhancing the cell proliferation.
