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Review: Epigenetics in Organ Development

Role of histone methylation and demethylation in adipogenesis and obesity

Masashi Okamura, Takeshi Inagaki, Toshiya Tanaka and Juro Sakai

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Adipocyte differentiation is a complex developmental process that involves the coordinated interplay of numerous transcription factors. PPARγ has emerged as a master regulator of adipogenesis and recent global target gene analysis demonstrated that PPARγ targets many genes encoding chromatin modification enzymes as well as genes of lipid metabolism and storage. Among such modification enzymes are histone lysine methyltransferases, which play important roles in transcriptional regulation. Histone methyltransferases are involved in PPARγ gene expression and subsequent adipogenesis. In addition, recent studies revealed that demethylation of histone H3 at lys9 is associated with resistance to obesity. We here review the role of histone methylation and demethylation in adipogenesis, metabolism, and obesity.

Authors

Masashi Okamura

University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan

Takeshi Inagaki

University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan

Toshiya Tanaka

University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan

Juro Sakai Corresponding author: jmsakai-tky@umin.ac.jp

University of Tokyo; Tokyo, Japan

This is an open-access article

 Download PDF

If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.