ABSTRACT
Transgenesis has contributed to a better understanding of adipose tissue homeostasis and development mechanisms (1). A very large number of transgenic animal models have been created to study the involvement of adipose tissue proteins in obesity. The aim of the present chapter is to give an overview of the transgenic studies performed in this field. The application of transgenic mouse technology to the study of insulin resistance has been extensively reviewed (2,3) and will not be considered herein. We focus on genes expressed in adipose tissue that cover the main functions of white adipose tissue (WAT), from the classical metabolic functions (lipolysis, lipogenesis, etc.) to the new established endocrine function (adipokine production). Animal models created to understand adipose tissue development will be also discussed.
