Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25881961›Full record

ArticleNature communications2015

FTO influences adipogenesis by regulating mitotic clonal expansion.

Myrte Merkestein, Samantha Laber, Fiona McMurray, Daniel Andrew, Gregor Sachse, Jeremy Sanderson, Mengdi Li, Samuel Usher, Dyan Sellayah, Frances M Ashcroft and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 147 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
147citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
9.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

147 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 232 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. RNA methylation in vascular disease: a systematic review.Journal of cardiothoracic surgery · 2022
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. mInternational journal of molecular medicine · 2026
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. NBiomolecules · 2026
    Review
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  15. Review
  16. Epigenetic Effects and Potential Contributions of mAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Epigenetic regulation of NAFLD: A preclinical study.The Indian journal of medical research · 2025
    Article
  19. Review
  20. Review

87 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Myrte Merkestein1] MRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK [2] Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Samantha Laber1] MRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK [2] Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Fiona McMurrayMRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK.
Daniel AndrewMRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK.
Gregor SachseDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Jeremy SandersonMRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK.
Mengdi LiMRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK.
Samuel UsherDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Dyan Sellayah1] MRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK [2] Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Frances M AshcroftDepartment of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK.
Roger D CoxMRC Harwell, Mammalian Genetics Unit, Harwell Oxford OX11 0RD, UK.
Mary Lyon Centre at MRC Harwell · GBUniversity of Oxford · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_U142661184Wellcome Trust 084655Wellcome Trust 093136
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene plays a pivotal role in regulating body weight and fat mass; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we show that primary adipocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from FTO overexpression (FTO-4) mice exhibit increased potential for adipogenic differentiation, while MEFs derived from FTO knockout (FTO-KO) mice show reduced adipogenesis. As predicted from these findings, fat pads from FTO-4 mice fed a high-fat diet show more numerous adipocytes. FTO influences adipogenesis by regulating events early in adipogenesis, during the process of mitotic clonal expansion. The effect of FTO on adipogenesis appears to be mediated via enhanced expression of the pro-adipogenic short isoform of RUNX1T1, which enhanced adipocyte proliferation, and is increased in FTO-4 MEFs and reduced in FTO-KO MEFs. Our findings provide novel mechanistic insight into how upregulation of FTO leads to obesity.

Indexed as

AdipocytesAdipogenesisAdipose TissueAlpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTOAnimalsCell DifferentiationDiet, High-FatDNA-Binding ProteinsFibroblastsMiceMice, KnockoutMitosisObesityProteinsProto-Oncogene ProteinsTranscription FactorsAlpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase FTODNA-Binding ProteinsFTO protein, mouseMTG8 protein, mouseProteinsProto-Oncogene ProteinsTranscription Factors

Identifiers

PMID25881961
PMCPMC4410642
OpenAlexW2086635253

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.