Novel adipocyte features discovered by adipoproteomics

Abstract

Obesity and its associated complications will be the most important near-future medical burden in Western-type societies. One hallmark of obesity is the differentiation of preadipocytes into mature fat-loaded adipocytes present in subcutaneous and visceral fat depots. Furthermore, (pre)adipocytes secrete proteins, known as adipokines, with changing profiles during fat accumulation. Adipocytes serve in important function with respect to energy homeostasis, body insulation and organ protection. Adipocyte dysfunction results in the initiation and progression of obesity-associated disorders. Obviously, knowledge of the adipocyte behavior under different nutritional conditions and the cross-talk of adipocytes with other cells and organs are key issues to develop proper intervention strategies. A full understanding of the adipocyte behavior requires a systems biology approach with integrated transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics data. This review focuses on the contribution of proteomics research in adipocyte biology. Proteome studies on adipocytes exist for almost 30 years but are boosted in the last decade with the enormous technological developments in mass spectrometry technology. The relevance of proteomics technologies in understanding molecular aspects of adipocyte biology is discussed. Recent novel findings and particularly the identification of novel adipokines are highlighted. Adipobiology 2009; 1: 7-18.