Abstract: With the improvement of living standards, long-term consumption of high calorie diet and physical inactivity result in storage of excess energy in the body in the form of fat, leading to obesity. Obesity has been officially listed as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization (WTO) in 1997. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) regulate the proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes by binding themselves with the trans-acting element of the target gene. Understanding the structural features, expression characteristics and mechanism of PPARs is of important theoretical significance and practical value for the control of obesity and related diseases. This article reviews the protein structure, gene expression and ligand activation of PPARγ, the interaction between different types of PPARs, and the role of PPARγ in lipid metabolism and the differentiation of adipocytes by natural ligands. Strategies for the prevention of obesity are put forward based on adipocyte proliferation regulation by PPARg.

Key words: obesity, trans-acting elements, adipocyte, expression regulation