The adiponectin signaling pathway as a novel pharmacological target.

There appear to be compelling evidences presenting adiponectin as a key regulator of energy homeostasis. Over the past 10 years, much work has been done to identify the molecular mechanisms by which adiponectin functions in the body. We and other groups have demonstrated that adiponectin activates multiple signaling pathways, which mediate its anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory functions.

APPL1 binds to adiponectin receptors and mediates adiponectin signalling and function.

Adiponectin, also known as Acrp30, is an adipose tissue-derived hormone with anti-atherogenic, anti-diabetic and insulin sensitizing properties. Two seven-transmembrane domain-containing proteins, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, have recently been identified as adiponectin receptors, yet signalling events downstream of these receptors remain poorly defined. By using the cytoplasmic domain of AdipoR1 as bait, we screened a yeast two-hybrid cDNA library derived from human fetal brain.