A high-throughput, image-based screen to identify kinases involved in brown adipocyte development

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is responsible for thermogenesis that is not associated with shivering through the process of converting chemical energy into heat through uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in the mitochondria. Thus, expanding or activating BAT could be a potential tool against obesity. To analyze the effect of kinase signaling on brown adipocyte formation, a process that describes the acquisition of the ability to dissipate energy as heat, we performed lentiviral-mediated short hairpin knockdown or used pharmacological inhibitors in a high-content and high-throughput in vitro image-based screen. We identified 190 kinases that either stimulated or inhibited brown adipocyte proliferation, differentiation, or formation. Among these kinases, we found that 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) promoted the formation of brown adipocytes abundant in UCP1. Together, our results provide insight into the kinases, particularly AMPK, that regulate brown adipocyte formation.