A recent study from UT Southwestern Medical Center has identified a microprotein called adipogenin that is involved in the storage of lipid droplets in fat cells. The research was published in Science on November 24, 2025. The findings indicate that adipogenin plays a role in metabolic health and may inform future research on obesity, diabetes, and related disorders.
The study was led by Dr. Philipp Scherer, Professor of Internal Medicine and Cell Biology at UT Southwestern, with Dr. Chao Li, Dr. Xue-Nan Sun, and Dr. Elina Ikonen from the University of Helsinki. The researchers examined how fat cells, known as adipocytes, store extra lipids after eating. Proper storage in these cells is important because misplaced lipids in other cell types can cause cell damage.
Earlier studies showed that a protein called seipin is important for healthy lipid storage. However, how seipin works was not fully understood. The new research found that adipogenin, a small protein of 80 amino acids, interacts with seipin. Using cryo-electron microscopy, the team showed that adipogenin helps stabilize seipin’s structure, which supports the formation of lipid droplets…