title: Vitamin D and adipogenesis: new molecular insights.
abstract: The focus of the current review is to highlight some new insights into the molecular mechanism by which vitamin D, a potentially nutritionally modulated factor, influences adipogenesis. Recent studies, predominantly using the mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte cell culture model, have shown that the role of vitamin D in inhibiting adipogenesis is mediated at the molecular level through a vitamin D receptor (VDR)-dependent inhibition of CCAAT enhancer binding protein-alpha (C/EBP alpha) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR gamma) expression and a decrease in PPAR gamma transactivating activity in the pre-adipocyte. The latter action may reflect a vitamin D-induced decrease in endogenous PPAR gamma ligand availability and a competition between VDR and PPAR gamma for a limiting amount of retinoid X receptor (RXR), a common heterodimeric binding partner of both nuclear receptors.
authors.affiliation: Mineral Bioavailability Laboratory at Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. richard.wood@tuft.edu
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D022763:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha; D022782:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta; D047495:PPAR gamma; D018167:Receptors, Calcitriol; D014807:Vitamin D