Loss of the Prader-Willi obesity syndrome protein necdin promotes adipogenesis

We investigated the role of necdin during adipogenic differentiation. Necdin is one of several genes inactivated in children with Prader-Willi syndrome, who are predisposed to increased adiposity at the expense of lean mass. Necdin promotes neuronal and muscle differentiation and survival through interactions with a variety of proteins, including cell surface receptors, modifiers of protein stability, and transcription factors. In pre-adipocytes, necdin over-expression inhibits adipogenesis, while reducing necdin levels enhances adipogenic differentiation in tissue culture cells. We now directly demonstrate a role for necdin in inhibiting adipogenesis using cells derived from necdin deficient mice. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.