Brown Algae Polyphenol, a Prolyl Isomerase Pin1 Inhibitor, Prevents Obesity by Inhibiting the Differentiation of Stem Cells into Adipocytes

BACKGROUND: While screening for an inhibitor of the peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase, Pin1, we came across a brown algae polyphenol that blocks the differentiation of fibroblasts into adipocytes. However, its effectiveness on the accumulation of fat in the body has never been studied. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Oral administration of brown algae polyphenol to mice fed with a high fat diet, suppressed the increase in fat volume to a level observed in mice fed with a normal diet. We speculate that Pin1 might be required for the differentiation of stem cell to adipocytes. We established wild type (WT) and Pin1(-/-) (Pin1-KO) adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ASC) lines and found that WT ASCs differentiate to adipocytes but Pin1-KO ASCs do not. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: Oral administration of brown algae polyphenol, a Pin1 inhibitor, reduced fat buildup in mice. We showed that Pin1 is required for the differentiation of stem cells into adipocytes. We propose that oral intake of brown algae polyphenol is useful for the treatment of obesity.