Adipocytes articles from across Nature Portfolio

The epidemic of fat-related metabolic disorders necessitates innovative therapies. Here, the authors show adipose-resident c-kit⁺ cells are crucial brown adipocyte progenitors and provide a promising way to manipulate adult brown adipose tissue for combating obesity and metabolic disorders.

This Review outlines changes in endocrine and metabolic function that occur in various adipose tissue depots during ageing and explains how these alterations contribute to age-related decline in metabolic health. The Review also discusses how various treatments might slow this decline by improving adipose tissue function.

Inhibition of haem synthesis is shown to lead to the accumulation of branched-chain amino acids in the brown adipose tissue of mice, which reduces UCP1 levels and impairs thermogenesis.

Adipose tissue progenitor cells regulate adipose remodelling and local and systemic metabolism in response to factors such as calorie intake and hormone signalling. Here, the authors discuss the current understanding of adipose progenitor subtypes, the plasticity of these cell types and their roles in metabolic health and disease.

Adipose tissue accommodates large volume changes upon expansion, but the molecular mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Here, Aboy et al. describe CAV1 Y14 phosphorylation as required for appropriate adipocyte caveolae flattening and homeostasis.