Fat Storage Inducing Transmembrane Protein 2 (FITM2)

FIT2 belongs to an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins involved in fat storage.Fit2 encodes a deduced 262-amino acid protein. Northern blot analysis detected ubiquitous expression of Fit2, with highest expression in white and brown adipose tissue, heart, and skeletal muscle. FIT2 was also ubiquitously expressed in human tissues. Western blot analysis revealed ubiquitous Fit2 protein expression, with highest levels in white and brown adipose tissue. Epitope-tagged Fit1 and Fit2 were expressed in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of transfected HEK293 human embryonic kidney cells.Short hairpin RNA-mediated silencing of Fit2 in mouse adipocytes prevented accumulation of lipid droplets, and depletion of Fit2 in zebrafish blocked diet-induced accumulation of lipid droplets in intestine and liver.