Lipidomics Techniques Revealed the Adipogenic Differentiation Mechanism of Bovine Adipose-Derived Neural Crest Stem Cells

Bovine adipose-derived neural crest stem cells (baNCSCs) are an ideal model for studying the mechanism of adipogenesis. Lipidomics provides a powerful technical means to comprehensively analyze the dynamic changes in lipid metabolism during cell differentiation. However, the lipidomic remodeling throughout the adipogenic differentiation of baNCSCs is still lacking in-depth research. This study used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) to perform non-targeted lipidomic analysis on baNCSCs on day 0 (CON0) and day 9 (DIF9) of adipogenic induction and differentiation. Differential lipid metabolites were screened through multivariate statistical analysis and univariate analysis. A total of 1639 lipid molecules were identified. Compared with the CON0 group, 568 lipids were significantly altered in the DIF9 group, involving 6 major categories and 20 subclasses. The relative content and types of triacylglycerols (TAG) and diacylglycerols (DAG) increased significantly, becoming the most important markers of successful differentiation. Glycerophospholipids (GP) underwent complex remodeling, with subclasses such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and cardiolipin (CL) significantly increased, indicating extensive restructuring of the cell and organelle membranes to adapt to lipid storage and energy metabolism. Sphingolipids (SP) such as ceramides (Cer) and sphingomyelins (SM) were generally downregulated. The content of acylcarnitines (ACar) and hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA) increased, suggesting enhanced fatty acid β-oxidation and metabolic health. This study systematically reveals the comprehensive lipidome reprogramming during the adipogenic differentiation of baNCSCs, which involves not only the accumulation of storage lipids but also the precise coordination of membrane lipid remodeling, signaling lipid regulation, and metabolic adaptation. These findings provide a valuable lipidomic perspective for understanding the molecular mechanism of bovine adipogenesis.