title: Forming functional fat: a growing understanding of adipocyte differentiation.
abstract: Adipose tissue, which is primarily composed of adipocytes, is crucial for maintaining energy and metabolic homeostasis. Adipogenesis is thought to occur in two stages: commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to a preadipocyte fate and terminal differentiation. Cell shape and extracellular matrix remodelling have recently been found to regulate preadipocyte commitment and competency by modulating WNT and RHO-family GTPase signalling cascades. Adipogenic stimuli induce terminal differentiation in committed preadipocytes through the epigenomic activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ). The coordination of PPARγ with CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) transcription factors maintains adipocyte gene expression. Improving our understanding of these mechanisms may allow us to identify therapeutic targets against metabolic diseases that are rapidly becoming epidemic globally.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, The Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Ana G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cristancho
authors.forename: Mitchell A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lazar
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019070:Cell Lineage; D048430:Cell Shape; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D022762:CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Proteins; D047495:PPAR gamma; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins