FSP27 (fat-specific protein 27) is a member of the cell deathinducing DNA fragmentation factor-␣-like effector (CIDE) family. Although Cidea and Cideb were initially characterized as activators of apoptosis, recent studies have demonstrated important metabolic roles for these proteins. In this study, we investigated the function of another member of this family, FSP27 (Cidec), in apoptosis and adipocyte metabolism. Although overexpression of FSP27 is sufficient to increase apoptosis of 293T and 3T3-L1 cells, more physiological levels of expression stimulate spontaneous lipid accumulation in several cell types without induction of adipocyte genes. Increased triacylglycerol is likely due to decreased -oxidation of nonesterified fatty acids. Altered flux of fatty acids into triacylglycerol may be a direct effect of FSP27 function, which is localized to lipid droplets in 293T cells and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Stable knockdown of FSP27 during adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells substantially decreases lipid droplet size, increases mitochondrial and lipid droplet number, and modestly increases glucose uptake and lipolysis. Expression of FSP27 in subcutaneous adipose tissue of a human diabetes cohort decreases with total fat mass but is not associated with measures of insulin resistance (e.g. homeostasis model assessment). Together, these data indicate that FSP27 binds to lipid droplets and regulates their enlargement.The cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor-␣-like effector (CIDE) 5 family of proteins shares sequence similarity with DNA fragmentation factors and was initially characterized as mitochondrial activators of apoptosis (1, 2). However, strong metabolic phenotypes of mice lacking Cidea and Cideb indicate that this family plays critical roles in energy balance (3, 4). Cidea knock-out mice are lean and resistant to diet-induced obesity because of increased lipolysis and mitochondrial uncoupling in brown adipose tissue (3). Although expression of Cidea is limited to brown adipocytes in mice, humans express CIDE-A in white adipose tissue, where lower levels are observed with obesity and insulin resistance (5, 6). Although a coding variant of CIDE-A, V115F, is associated with human obesity (7), knockdown of CIDE-A in human adipocytes enhances lipolysis (5).Cideb knock-out mice are also lean and resistant to diet-induced obesity; however, this family member is expressed highly in liver, and the phenotype is because of decreased hepatic lipogenesis, increased fatty acid oxidation, and increased whole body energy expenditure (4). Thus, through a number of mechanisms, the CIDE family appears to have important roles in lipid metabolism. FSP27 (fat-specific protein of 27 kDa or Cidec) is the third member of the CIDE family. FSP27 was identified prior to the other family members based upon induction during adipogenesis (8). CIDE-3, the human version of FSP27, was characterized as 66% homologous to mouse and as an activator of apoptosis when expressed in 293T cells (9). However, the lack of function ascribed to FSP27 limit...