title: Understanding the variegation of fat: novel regulators of adipocyte differentiation and fat tissue biology.
abstract: The differentiation of uncommitted cells into specialized adipocytes occurs through a cascade of transcriptional events culminating in the induction and activation of the nuclear receptor PPARγ, the central coordinator of fat cell function. Since the discovery of PPARγ, two decades ago, our views of how this molecule is activated have been significantly refined. Beyond the cell, we also now know that diverse signals and regulators control PPARγ function in a fat-depot specific manner. The goal of this article is to review the latest in our understanding of the early and late transcriptional events that regulate adipocyte development and their potential impact on energy storage and expenditure in different fat depots. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Modulation of Adipose Tissue in Health and Disease.
authors.affiliation: Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: elisabettam@niddk.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mueller
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D050156:Adipogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D047495:PPAR gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D047495:PPAR gamma
keywords: Brite/beige fat cells; Brown fat; PPARgamma; Transcriptional regulators; White adipose depots; White fat browning