Trans-acting factors involved in adipogenic differentiation.

The differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes in culture is accompanied by the coordinate transcriptional activation of adipose-specific genes. Recent studies have identified cis-acting elements that are involved in activating (or derepressing) the transcription of many of these genes during differentiation. The identification of key trans-acting nuclear factors that interact with certain of these elements makes it possible to formulate models for the regulatory network governing the adipogenic differentiation program.