Abstract
Adipose tissue dysfunction is typically seen in metabolic diseases, particularly obesity and diabetes. White adipocytes store fat while brown adipocyte dissipates it via thermogenesis. In addition, beige adipocytes develop in white fat depots in response to stimulation of β-adrenergic pathways. It appears that the three types of adipocytes-white, brown, and beige-can be formed de novo from stem/precursor cells or via transdifferentiation. Identifying the presumptive progenitors that harbor capacity to differentiate to these distinct adipocyte cell types will enable their functional characterization. Moreover, the presence or absence of white/brown/beige adipocytes is correlated with metabolic dysfunction making their study of medical relevance. Robust, reliable, and reproducible methods of identification and isolation of adipocyte progenitors will stimulate further detailed understanding of white, brown, and beige adipogenesis.