Abstract

Adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted protein encoded by the ACDC gene (also known as APM1), has been shown to play an important role in the regulation of fatty acid and glucose metabolism in liver and muscle, where it modulates insulin sensitivity. Adiponectin enhances fatty acid oxidation in liver and muscle, thus reducing triglyceride content in these tissues. Moreover, it stimulates glucose utilization in muscle and inhibits glucose production by the liver, consequently decreasing blood glucose levels. Plasma adiponectin levels are positively correlated with insulin sensitivity in humans. Circulating adiponectin forms a wide range of multimers. Mutations in the ACDC gene result in an impaired multimerization and/or impaired secretion of adiponectin from adipocytes, both linked to the development of insulin resistance and type II diabetes. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoadiponectinemia associated with the diabetic phenotype. We further discuss the more recent findings that implicate adiponectin multimer formation as an important feature of the biological function of this adipocyte-derived hormone

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