Figure 1. The mechanisms through which obesity leads to adipose tissue dysfunction.
Under an obese condition, reduced oxygen level (hypoxia) in adipose tissues trigger the HIF1α-induced phosphorylation of PPARγ S112 via ERK signaling in PDGFRβ+ progenitor cells. This signaling cascade leads to the activation of pro-fibrotic genes while suppressing the pro-adipogenic program. Reduced mitochondrial OXPHOS activity also leads to the activation of pro-inflammatory genes and repression of adipogenic potential in adipose PDGFRβ+ cells.