Adipocytes are among the most important cells for energy storage, metabolism and balance in mammals. Dysfunctional adipocytes are closely associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity, and thus with insulin resistance and inflammation. Recent studies show that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress may be responsible for obesity-induced insulin resistance. In this study, we investigated an ER-associated degradation-related protein in adipocytes, namely osteosarcoma amplified 9 (OS-9), a protein that is reported to have lectin activity and to be involved in ER quality control. We found that OS-9 is expressed at high levels in both types of fat tissues – brown and white adipose tissues – and we examined the subcellular localization of OS-9 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Furthermore, we observed that the expression levels of the OS-9 protein gradually increased as 3T3-L1 adipocytes differentiated. Most notably, we found that the depletion of this protein influences adipocyte differentiation and lipid storage, although the mechanism behind this is unclear.

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