The dramatic rise in the incidence of obesity in the U.S. has focused attention on the biology of the adipocyte. The experiments in this proposal are designed to address crucial questions in the area of adipogenesis, or fat cell differentiation. Specifically, these studies will focus on the control of terminal gene expression in adipocytes. Two approaches are discussed. First, we will perform both biased and unbiased screens of fat cell transcription factors in cells that lack the critical adipogenic factor PPARgamma. In this way we will isolate and characterize factors that can act downstream of PPARgamma to cause lipid accumulation or adipose gene expression. Second, we will also scan large pieces of sequence flanking genes expressed in adipocytes for regulatory motifs. In collaboration with the Whitehead Genome Center we are developing algorithms to search the human genome and to perform large scale mouse-human homology searches to identify important transcription factor binding sites. Such regulatory motifs will be used to clone and to characterize the cognate transcription factors, and will allow the discovery of novel pathways in adipogenesis.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DK063906-04
Application #
7028927
Study Section
Endocrinology Study Section (END)
Program Officer
Haft, Carol R
Project Start
2003-01-01
Project End
2007-12-31
Budget Start
2006-01-01
Budget End
2006-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$351,101
Indirect Cost
Name
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
071723621
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02215
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