Obesity induced in mice by high-fat feeding activates the protein kinase cdk5 in adipose tissues. This results in phosphorylation of the nuclear receptor PPARγ, a dominant regulator of adipogenesis and fat cell gene expression, at serine 273. This modification of PPARγ does not alter its adipogenic capacity, but leads to dysregulation of a large number of genes whose expression is altered in obesity, including a reduction in the expression of the insulin-sensitizing adipokine, adiponectin. The phosphorylation of PPARγ by cdk5 is blocked by anti-diabetic PPARγ ligands, such as rosiglitazone and MRL24. This inhibition works both in vivo and in vitro, and surprisingly, is completely independent of classical receptor transcriptional agonism. Similarly, inhibition of PPARγ phosphorylation in obese patients by rosiglitazone is very tightly associated with the anti-diabetic effects of this drug. These data strongly suggest that cdk5-mediated phosphorylation of PPARγ may be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin-resistance, and present an opportunity for development of an improved generation of anti-diabetic drugs through PPARγ.

Secretion of leptin from adipocytes communicates body energy status to the brain by activating the leptin receptor long form (LRb). LRb regulates energy homeostasis and neuroendocrine function; the absence of LRb in db/db mice results in obesity, impaired growth, infertility and diabetes. Tyr 1138 of LRb mediates activation of the transcription factor STAT3 during leptin action. To investigate the contribution of STAT3 signalling to leptin action in vivo, we replaced the gene encoding the leptin receptor (lepr) in mice with an allele coding for a replacement of Tyr 1138 in LRb with a serine residue (lepr(S1138)) that specifically disrupts the LRb-STAT3 signal. Here we show that, like db/db mice, lepr(S1138) homozygotes (s/s) are hyperphagic and obese. However, whereas db/db mice are infertile, short and diabetic, s/s mice are fertile, long and less hyperglycaemic. Furthermore, hypothalamic expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) is elevated in db/db mice but not s/s mice, whereas the hypothalamic melanocortin system is suppressed in both db/db and s/s mice. LRb-STAT3 signalling thus mediates the effects of leptin on melanocortin production and body energy homeostasis, whereas distinct LRb signals regulate NPY and the control of fertility, growth and glucose homeostasis.

SUMMARY A clear relationship exists between visceral obesity and type 2 diabetes, whereas subcutaneous obesity is comparatively benign. Here we show that adipocyte-specific deletion of the coregulatory protein PRDM16 caused minimal effects on classical brown fat but markedly inhibited beige adipocyte function in subcutaneous fat following cold exposure or β3-agonist treatment. These animals developed obesity on a high fat diet, with severe insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis. They also showed altered fat distribution with markedly increased subcutaneous adiposity. Subcutaneous adipose tissue in mutant mice acquired many key properties of visceral fat, including decreased thermogenic and increased inflammatory gene expression and increased macrophage accumulation. Transplantation of subcutaneous fat into mice with diet-induced obesity showed a loss of metabolic benefit when tissues were derived from PRDM16 mutant animals. These findings indicate that PRDM16 and beige adipocytes are required for the “browning” of white fat and the healthful effects of subcutaneous adipose tissue.