PRDM16: the interconvertible adipo-myocyte switch

Both brown and white adipocytes were previously considered to be derived from the same precursor cell, despite being histologically and functionally different. However, a recent study shows that overexpression of the transcriptional regulator positive regulatory domain containing 16 (PRDM16) determines the development of brown adipocytes from a progenitor that expresses myoblast markers. Surprisingly, loss of PRDM16 from these precursors does not lead to white adipocyte differentiation. Thus, PRDM16 controls a bidirectional cell fate switch between skeletal myoblasts and brown adipocytes.