storage of energy as neutral lipid (i.e., triacylglycerol) in adipose tissues. Storing excess energy as neutral lipid is an evolutionarily conserved characteristic common to virtually all animals, providing a valuable energy source during periods of nutrient scarcity ( 2, 3 ). Vertebrates are capable of storing neutral lipid in several tissues, with adipose tissue serving as the primary depot. The principal cellular component of adipose tissue is the adipocyte, a cell type specialized for storing fat in cytoplasmic neutral lipid droplets and endocrine control of energy balance ( 4, 5 ).Current knowledge of adipocyte development and physiology is largely derived from research using mammalian model systems. Mammals develop two general types of adipose tissues: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). WAT is more abundant and serves primarily as a site of energy storage and mobilization, while BAT primarily functions in energy expenditure in the form of thermogenesis. WAT and BAT form in distinct anatomic depots during mammalian development, with different depots displaying distinctive patterns of gene expression, endocrine sensitivity, and association with metabolic diseases ( 2 ). Adipocytes within WAT (white adipocytes) and BAT (brown adipocytes) both contain cytoplasmic neutral lipid droplets; however, mature white adipocytes typically contain a single large droplet (unilocular), while brown adipocytes contain multiple smaller lipid droplets. Previous studies have indicated that adipocytes develop from multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are classically considered to be derived from the mesoderm, although recent studies suggest that MSCs have additional developmental origins, such as the neural crest or neuroepithelium ( 6, 7 ). In addition to producing adipocytes during development, MSCs are thought to populate distinct anatomical sites in adult animals, including bone The worldwide epidemic of obesity and associated complications, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, has resulted in the designation of obesity as a major public health challenge of our time ( 1 ). Obesity is a disorder of energy imbalance in which an excess of energy intake over expenditure leads to increased
This work was funded