Adipogenesis at a glance.

Stephens, 2010). At the same time attention has also shifted to many other aspects of adipocyte development, including efforts to identify, isolate and manipulate relevant precursor stem cells. Recent studies have revealed new intracellular pathways, processes and secreted factors that can influence the decision of these cells to become adipocytes. Understanding the intricacies of adipogenesis is of major relevance to human disease, as adipocyte dysfunction makes an important contribution to metabolic disease in obesity (Unger et al., 2010). Thus, improving adipocyte function and the complementation or replacement of poorly functioning adipocytes could be beneficial in common metabolic disease. Approximately 10% of adipocytes turn over in human adipose tissue each year, which indicates that ensuring the newly forming adipocytes are appropriately metabolically flexible could substantially improve metabolic diseases (Spalding et al., 2008). This Cell Science at a Glance article reviews the transition of precursor stem cells into mature lipid-laden adipocytes, and the numerous molecules, pathways and signals required to accomplish this.