Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor
A member of the nuclear hormone receptor subfamily of transcription factors.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor is abbreviated as PPAR.
There are 3 known subtypes of PPARs -- PPAR-alpha, PPAR-delta, and PPAR-gamma.
The gene for PPAR-gamma is in chromosome band 3p25. It regulates the development of adipocytes (fat cells).
PPAR-gamma also influences the prenatal survival of dizygotic (nonidentical) twins.
Twins with the same type of PPAR-gamma may develop at the same pace.
However, when the twins are carrying different versions of PPAR-gamma, one twin may develop at the expense of the other.