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Title: GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ONTOGENY: ADIPOSE TISSUE

Author
item Hausman, Gary
item HAUSMAN, DOROTHY - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Encyclopedia of Animal Science
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2004
Publication Date: 11/20/2004
Citation: Hausman, G.J., Hausman, D.B. 2004. Growth and development ontogeny: adipose tissue. In: Pond, W.G., Bell, A.W., editors. Encyclopedia of Animal Science. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. p. 684-687.

Interpretive Summary: Fat tissue and fat cells develop early in life and continue to develop throughout growth in meat animal species. Many aspects of fat tissue development were reviewed including morphology, cellularity, gene expression and hormonal regulation. New technologies which help determine changes in protein and gene levels will help us understand the fat cell developmental process to a greater extent. Understanding the ontogeny of fat tissue can lead to strategies aimed at improving health, performance, and production in animals.

Technical Abstract: Studies of the cellular and functional aspects of white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) ontogeny including WAT depot and species dependent characteristics were reviewed. These studies included examination of expression of the WAT marker gene, leptin, the BAT marker gene, UCP-1, and a number of other genes associated with WAT and BAT development. However, the expression of angiogenic genes or proteins has not been examined during adipose tissue ontogeny despite the essential role angiogenesis and blood vessels play during the ontogeny of adipose tissue structure and function. The ontogeny and regulation of adipose tissue leptin gene expression has been examined to some extent but additional studies are necessary to determine the ontogeny of the response of leptin expression to fasting and other modulators as influenced by depot and species. Finally, there is little to no information on the ontogeny of adipocyte expression of other regulatory factors known to be expressed and secreted by rodent and human adipocytes.