REGULATION OF ADIPOCYTE GENE-EXPRESSION AND DIFFERENTIATION BY PEROXISOME PROLIFERATOR ACTIVATED RECEPTOR-GAMMA

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) gamma is an orphan m ember of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and is expressed at high levels specifically in adipose tissue. Recent data suggest that t his factor is a central regulator of adipocyte gene expression and dif ferentiation. Fibroblastic cell lines that express PPAR gamma ectopica lly can be induced to differentiate into fat cells by a variety of lip ids and lipid-like activators of PPARs, suggesting that this protein m ay function to link adipogenesis with systemic lipid metabolism.