Overexpression of XBP1s, the spliced form of X-box-binding protein 1, a pivotal component of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, in mice improves systemic glucose homeostasis, a study published in Diabetes shows. XBP1s acts by promoting the multimerization of adiponectin in adipocytes rather than by activating adiponectin transcription. The researchers propose that this action is mediated through direct regulation of the expression of several endoplasmic reticulum chaperones involved in adiponectin maturation.