- 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.
Medical dictionary. 2011.