Inhibition of glutathione S-transferase omega 1-catalyzed protein deglutathionylation suppresses adipocyte differentiation

Glutathione S-transferase omega 1 (GstO1) is closely associated with various human diseases, including obesity and diabetes, but its functional mechanism is not fully understood. In the present study, we found that the GstO1-specific inhibitor C1-27 effectively suppressed the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. GstO1 expression was immediately upregulated upon the induction of adipocyte differentiation, and barely altered by C1-27. However, C1-27 significantly decreased the stability of GstO1. Moreover, GstO1 catalyzed the deglutathionylation of cellular proteins during the early phase of adipocyte differentiation, and C1-27 inhibited this activity. These results demonstrate that GstO1 is involved in adipocyte differentiation by catalyzing the deglutathionylation of proteins critical for the early phase of adipocyte differentiation.