| First Author | Smas CM | Year | 1993 |
| Journal | Cell | Volume | 73 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 725-34 |
| PubMed ID | 8500166 | Mgi Jnum | J:21435 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:69412 | Doi | 10.1016/0092-8674(93)90252-l |
| Citation | Smas CM, et al. (1993) Pref-1, a protein containing EGF-like repeats, inhibits adipocyte differentiation. Cell 73(4):725-34 |
| abstractText | With the aim of identifying novel regulators of adipocyte differentiation, we have cloned and characterized preadipocyte factor 1 (pref-1), a novel member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like family of proteins. Pref-1 is synthesized as a transmembrane protein with six tandem EGF-like repeats. In preadipocytes, multiple discrete forms of pref-1 protein of 45-60 kd are present, owing in part to N-linked glycosylation. While pref-1 mRNA is abundant in preadipocytes, its expression is completely abolished during differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to adipocytes. Moreover, constitutive expression of pref-1 in preadipocytes, which in effect blocks its down-regulation, drastically inhibits adipose differentiation. This indicates that pref-1 functions as a negative regulator of adipocyte differentiation, possibly in a manner analogous to EGF-like proteins that govern cell fate decisions in invertebrates. |
