Pref-1 and ADSF/resistin: two secreted factors inhibiting adipose tissue development.

Adipose tissue is the source of a wide array of factors of great biological significance that are involved in many aspects of organism physiology, including appetite control and peripheral metabolism. Here, we describe two secreted factors from adipose tissue that inhibit adipogenesis. Pref-1 is a preadipocyte secreted factor synthesized as a transmembrane protein that undergoes proteolitic cleavage to generate two distinct soluble forms. In vitro assays have demonstrated that only the large soluble form of Pref-1 is biologically active and inhibits adipocyte differentiation. In vivo, mice lacking Pref-1 expression show accelerated fat deposition, perinatal mortality and growth retardation as well as distinct skeletal malformations, highlighting the importance of Pref-1 during mouse development in addition to its role in adipose tissue development. ADSF/resistin is secreted by adipocytes and inhibits adipose cells differentiation in vitro. Its function is still unclear, but its expression and high circulating levels have been associated with an impairment of insulin action. The findings show that Pref-1 and possibly ADSF/resistin secretion control fat cell differentiation and adipose tissue development.