Scientific background: |
ADIPOQ (Adipocyte-, C1q-, and Collagen Domain-Containing), also known as APM1, ADPN or ACDC, is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ADIPOQ gene. Using FISH, Das et al. (2001) mapped the mouse Acrp30 gene to chromosome 16 in a region showing homology of synteny with human 3q27. By RNase protection and Western blot analysis, Schaffler et al. (1999) showed that APM1 is expressed by differentiated adipocytes as a 33-kD protein that is also detectable in serum. By sequence comparisons, they found links between APM1 and TNF family ligands as well as to cytokines expressed by T cells. Adiponectin is a protein hormone that modulates a number of metabolic processes, including glucose regulation and fatty acid oxidation. Adiponectin is exclusively secreted from adipose tissue (and also from the placenta in pregnancy) into the bloodstream and is very abundant in plasma relative to many hormones. |
References: |
1. Das, K., Lin, Y., Widen, E., Zhang, Y., Scherer, P. E. Chromosomal localization, expression pattern, and promoter analysis of the mouse gene encoding adipocyte-specific secretory protein Acrp30. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 280: 1120-1129, 2001.
2. Schaffler, A., Orso, E., Palitzsch, K.-D., Buchler, C., Drobnik, W., Furst, A., Scholmerich, J., Schmitz, G. The human apM-1, an adipocyte-specific gene linked to the family of TNF's and to genes expressed in activated T cells, is mapped to chromosome 1q21.3-q23, a susceptibility locus identified for familial combined hyperlipidaemia (FCH). Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 260: 416-425, 1999.
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