Proteomic profile of mouse fibroblasts with a targeted disruption of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-β/δ gene

The peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-beta (PPAR beta) plays an essential role in lipid metabolism, immune modulation, differentiation and cell proliferation. There is also strong evidence for a function in oncogenesis and tumor vascularization, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we have used fibroblasts derived from Pparb wildtype and null mice to determine by 2-DE and PMF analysis the contribution of PPAR beta to the protein profile of fibroblasts. Thirty-one differentially expressed proteins of different functional categories were identified. For at least two proteins a role in tumorigenesis and/or tumor vascularization has previously been reported: while the calcium intracellular channel-4 (CLIC4) was expressed at lower levels in Pparb null cells, expression of the cellular retinol binding protein 1 (CRBP1) was enhanced. Clic4 and Crbp1 gene expression patterns observed in different experimental settings in vitro and in vivo confirmed the proteomics data. Our findings indicate that the expression of a defined set of proteins is altered in fibroblasts and endothelial cells from Pparb null mice, that this is due to aberrant gene regulation, and that the altered expression of these proteins is consistent with the tumor vascularization phenotype of Pparb null mice.