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Updated: Aug 10, 2026
08:34
Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Lipin, a lipodystrophy and obesity gene
1Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90073, USA.
Cell Metabolism
|August 2, 2005
Summary
Lipin gene expression variations can cause extreme obesity or lipodystrophy. Increased lipin in fat tissue affects fat storage, while in muscle, it impacts energy expenditure and fat use.
Area of Science:
- Metabolic diseases
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Lipodystrophy and obesity are opposite ends of the adiposity spectrum, typically linked to specific gene alterations.
- Lipin deficiency was previously shown to impair adipocyte differentiation and cause lipodystrophy in mice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of enhanced lipin expression in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle on adiposity.
- To elucidate the distinct mechanisms by which lipin influences fat mass and energy balance.
Main Methods:
- Generation and analysis of two distinct tissue-specific lipin transgenic mouse strains.
- Assessment of adipocyte differentiation, fat storage, whole-body energy expenditure, and fat utilization.
Main Results:
- Enhanced lipin expression in adipose tissue promotes obesity by influencing adipocyte fat storage capacity.
- Enhanced lipin expression in skeletal muscle promotes obesity by affecting whole-body energy expenditure and fat utilization.
- Variations in lipin levels alone are sufficient to induce extreme adiposity states.
Conclusions:
- Lipin levels in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle play critical roles in modulating fat mass and energy balance.
- Tissue-specific modulation of lipin expression offers potential insights into managing obesity and lipodystrophy.
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