The distinct phenotype of primary adipocytes and adipocytes derived from stem cells of white adipose tissue as assessed by Raman and fluorescence imaging.

Spectroscopy-based analysis of chemical composition of cells is a tool still scarcely used in biological sciences, although it provides unique information about the cell identity accessible in vivo and in situ. Through time-lapse spectroscopic monitoring of adipogenesis in brown and white adipose tissue-derived stem cells we have demonstrated that considerable chemical and functional changes occur along with cells differentiation and maturation, yet yielding mature adipocytes with a similar chemical composition, independent of the cellular origin (white or brown adipose tissue). However, in essence, these stem cell-derived adipocytes have a markedly different chemical composition compared to mature primary adipocytes. The consequences of this different chemical (and, hence, functional) identity have great importance in the context of selecting a suitable methodology for adipogenesis studies, particularly in obesity-related research.