Adipose cells produce and secrete numerous physiologically important proteins, such as Lipoprotein Lipase, Leptin, and Adipocyte Complement Related protein of 30 kDa, also known as Acrp30 or Adiponectin. Adiponectin is a circulating protein that is secreted exclusively by differentiated adipocytes. During adipocyte differentiation, Adiponectin mRNA is induced >100 fold. Adiponectin improves the ability of insulin to suppress glucose production, at sub physiological levels, thereby linking adipose tissue to whole body glucose regulation. Adiponectin function appears to be regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) since Adiponectin secretion is blocked by pharmacologic inhibitors of this kinase. Adiponectin mRNA is significantly reduced in adipose tissue of obese patients with Type 2 diabetes. The structural similarity of Adiponectin to TNF alpha suggests that Adiponectin may play a role in pathogenesis of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin is implicated as a regulator of whole body energy homeostasis.Synonyms: 30 kDa adipocyte complement-related protein, ACDC, ACRP30, ADIPOQ, APM1, Adipocyte, Adipocyte complement-related 30 kDa protein, Adipose most abundant gene transcript 1 protein, C1q and collagen domain-containing protein, GBP28, Gelatin-binding protein