Genomic and epigenomic regulation of adipose tissue inflammation in obesity

• Nutrient excess leads to the expression of inflammatory molecules and the recruitment of immune cells.
• Transcription factors control the regulation of inflammatory genes.
• Transcriptional coregulators act as epigenomic checkpoints of inflammatory gene expression.

Chronic inflammation of adipose tissue is viewed as a hallmark of obesity and contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. According to current models, nutrient excess causes metabolic and structural changes in adipocytes, which initiate transcriptional programs leading to the expression of inflammatory molecules and the subsequent recruitment of immune cells. Recent advances in deciphering the underlying mechanisms revealed that key regulatory events occur at the genomic and epigenomic levels. Here we review these advances because they offer a better understanding of the mechanisms behind the complex obesogenic program in adipose tissue, and because they may help in defining new therapeutic strategies that prevent, restrict, and resolve inflammation in the context of obesity.