However, in lentiviral shRNA knockdown of GPAT4, a gene whose inactivation in mice causes subdermal lipodystrophy and reduced diet-induced obesity [78], in both WT and MestgKO EMSC resulted in the emergence of differences in adipogenesis between the two genotypes with EMSC derived from MestgKO mice showing significantly reduced lipid accumulation compared to WT EMSC (Fig 9G, 9H and 9I). Here, GPAT4 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.