PhD Defense: Proteomics approaches for the study of adipose tissue biology: TRIB3 and beyond

Adipose tissue (AT) regulates whole-body metabolism and energy homeostasis through the production and secretion of adipose-specific factors, the so-called: adipokines. Dysregulation of adipose tissue due to excessive and prolonged exposure to an over-caloric diet is a hallmark in the development of obesity and obesity-associated diseases like Type II Diabetes and cancer. Since the global obesity epidemic has not shown signs of declining, understanding the factors and signals that regulate adipose tissue function remains of critical importance for the scientific community.

The work presented in this thesis is center around the role of non-enzymatic proteins in adipose biology. We used a combination of mass spectrometry-based proteomics approaches to understand better their function in health and disease, discovering new functions and interactions that might be a stepping stone for future research in the field.