ZFP423 controls EBF2 coactivator recruitment and PPARγ occupancy to determine the thermogenic plasticity of adipocytes

In this study, Shao et al. demonstrate that the protein–protein interaction between the transcriptional coregulator ZFP423 and brown fat determination factor EBF2 is essential for restraining the thermogenic phenotype of white adipose tissue (WAT). Using CRISPR–Cas9 gene editing to disrupt the ZFP423–EBF2 protein interaction triggers widespread “browning” of WAT in adult mice, and overall their data indicate that ZFP423 controls EBF2 coactivator recruitment and PPARγ occupancy to determine the thermogenic plasticity of adipocytes.