# Lipidomics Techniques Revealed the Adipogenic Differentiation Mechanism of Bovine Adipose-Derived Neural Crest Stem Cells

## TL;DR

This study uses lipidomics to uncover how bovine stem cells transform into fat cells, revealing changes in storage and membrane lipids.

## Contribution

The study provides the first comprehensive lipidomic analysis of adipogenic differentiation in bovine neural crest stem cells.

## Key findings

- Adipogenic differentiation involves significant accumulation of triglycerides and diacylglycerols.
- Membrane lipids like phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine increase, indicating membrane remodeling.
- Enhanced fatty acid oxidation is suggested by increased acylcarnitines and hydroxy fatty acid levels.

## Abstract

Bovine adipose-derived neural crest stem cells (baNCSCs) are a unique model for studying fat formation. Using advanced lipidomics technology, we analyzed the complete changes in lipid molecules during the differentiation of baNCSCs into fat cells. We found that the transformation of these stem cells into mature fat cells involves a massive accumulation of storage fats like triglycerides (TG), as well as a sophisticated reprogramming of membrane fats and signaling lipids. This study provides a comprehensive lipid-based perspective on how fat cells develop in bovines, offering new insights for animal science and metabolic research.

Bovine adipose-derived neural crest stem cells (baNCSCs) are an ideal model for studying the mechanism of adipogenesis. Lipidomics provides a powerful technical means to comprehensively analyze the dynamic changes in lipid metabolism during cell differentiation. However, the lipidomic remodeling throughout the adipogenic differentiation of baNCSCs is still lacking in-depth research. This study used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to perform non-targeted lipidomic analysis on baNCSCs on day 0 (CON0) and day 9 (DIF9) of adipogenic induction and differentiation. Differential lipid metabolites were screened through multivariate statistical analysis and univariate analysis. A total of 1639 lipid molecules were identified. Compared with the CON0 group, 568 lipids were significantly altered in the DIF9 group, involving 6 major categories and 20 subclasses. The relative content and types of triacylglycerols (TAG) and diacylglycerols (DAG) increased significantly, becoming the most important markers of successful differentiation. Glycerophospholipids (GP) underwent complex remodeling, with subclasses such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and cardiolipin (CL) significantly increased, indicating extensive restructuring of the cell and organelle membranes to adapt to lipid storage and energy metabolism. Sphingolipids (SP) such as ceramides (Cer) and sphingomyelins (SM) were generally downregulated. The content of acylcarnitines (ACar) and hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA) increased, suggesting enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation and metabolic health. This study systematically reveals the comprehensive lipidome reprogramming during the adipogenic differentiation of baNCSCs, which involves not only the accumulation of storage lipids but also the precise coordination of membrane lipid remodeling, signaling lipid regulation, and metabolic adaptation. These findings provide a valuable lipidomic perspective for understanding the molecular mechanism of bovine adipogenesis.