Molecular regulation of adipogenesis

Adipogenesis, or the development of fat cells from preadipocytes, has been one of the most intensely studied models of cellular differentiation. In pa rt this has been because of the availability of in vitro models that faithf ully recapitulate most of the critical aspects of fat cell formation in viv o. More recently, studies of adipogenesis have proceeded with the hope that manipulation of this process in humans might one day lead to a reduction i n the burden of obesity and diabetes. This review explores some of the high lights of a large and burgeoning literature devoted to understanding adipog enesis at the molecular level. The hormonal and transcriptional control of adipogenesis is reviewed, as well as studies on a less well known type of f at cell, the brown adipocyte. Emphasis is placed, where possible, on in viv o studies with the hope that the results discussed may one day shed light o n basic questions of cellular growth and differentiation in addition to pos sible benefits in human health.