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  • Metabolic Messengers
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Metabolic Messengers: adiponectin

Nature Metabolism volume 1, pages 334–339 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Adiponectin, first described in the mid-1990s, is one of the most widely studied adipokines to date. Studies of its regulation, biogenesis and physiological effects have yielded great insight and improved understanding of the mechanisms that ensure systemic metabolic homeostasis. Here, we provide a brief overview of the current state of the adiponectin field, describing adiponectin’s history, sites and mechanisms of action, and the critical questions that must be addressed in the future.

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Fig. 1: Timeline of the discovery of adiponectin.
Fig. 2: Target tissues and biological activity of adiponectin.
Fig. 3: Downstream signalling cascade of AdipoRs.

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Acknowledgements

The authors were supported by US National Institutes of Health grants R01-DK55758, R01-DK099110, P01-DK088761 and P01-AG051459 as well as by an unrestricted Novo Nordisk Foundation grant (to P.E.S.).

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  1. Touchstone Diabetes Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

    Leon G. Straub & Philipp E. Scherer

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Straub, L.G., Scherer, P.E. Metabolic Messengers: adiponectin. Nat Metab 1, 334–339 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-019-0041-z

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