title: Role of microRNA biogenesis in adipocyte and lipodystrophy.
abstract: The detailed mechanism underlying adipocyte development and function remains to be fully understood. MicroRNAs are a class of non-coding regulators in adipocyte development and function in physiological and pathological conditions. Our recent study(11) using adipose-specific dgcr8 knockout mice demonstrates that microRNA biogenesis has a depot-specific function in adipose and plays an important role in brown adipocyte feature maintenance. Interestingly, in a parallel study from Kahn's group, Mori et al observed similar phenotypes in adipose-specific Dicer knockout mice. This study also reveals that the expression of Dicer is downregulated in the adipose from patients with HIV-associated lipodystrophy (HALS), suggesting that dysregulation of microRNA biogenesis may play a role in the onset of HALS.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders; Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School ; Singapore.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders; Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School ; Singapore ; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology ; Proteos; Singapore.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
keywords: Dgcr8; Dicer; adipocyte; adipose; brown fat; lipodystrophy; microRNA