A group of polyunsaturated fatty acids called conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) are found in ruminant products, where the most common isomers are cis 9, trans 11 ( c 9, t 11) and trans 10, cis 12 ( t 10, c 12) CLA. A crude mixture of these isomers has been shown in animal studies to alter body composition by a reduction in body fat mass as well as an increase in lean body mass, with the t 10, c 12 isomer having the most pronounced effect. The objective of this study was to establish the molecular mechanisms by which t 10, c 12 CLA affects lipid accumulation in adipocytes. We have shown that t 10, c 12 CLA prevents lipid accumulation in human and mouse adipocytes at concentrations as low as 5 M and 25 M, respectively. Adipocytes play a central role in maintaining lipid homeostasis and energy balance in vertebrates by storing triacylglycerols (TAGs) or releasing free fatty acids in response to changes in energy demands (1). The increase in incidence of obesity and Type II diabetes has focused attention on all aspects of adipocyte biology (2). In this regard, transcription factors have been identified that directly influence adipogenesis, in which peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor ␥ (PPAR ␥ ) has been shown to play a crucial role (3).PPAR ␥ is a member of the nuclear hormone receptor super family (4), which forms heterodimers with the retinoid X receptor (RXR), and regulates gene expression by binding to a PPAR-responsive element (PPRE) of the direct repeat 1 type in the promoter region of a variety of target genes (5, 6). PPAR ␥ 2 is found almost exclusively in adipose tissue and has been linked to adipocyte differentiation (7,8). Natural high-affinity ligands for PPAR ␥ have not been identified, but polyunsaturated fatty acids and 15-deoxy-12,14-prostaglandin J2 show micromolar affinity for the receptor, in line with their serum levels (9, 10). Interest in the PPAR ␥ receptor field increased when a new class of synthetic antidiabetic drugs, the thiazolidinediones (TZDs), were shown to act as high-affinity ligands for PPAR ␥ (4). The effects of these ligands are mediated by changes in the transcriptional rate of PPAR ␥ target genes (11). Even though TZDs are used in the treatment of Type II diabetes, they are shown to induce adiposity and body weight gain in rodents (12) as well as weight gain in human patients (13). On the other hand, Mukherjee and coworkers have described a synthetic PPAR ␥ modulator, LG100641, which blocks adipocyte differentiation but stimulates glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (14).Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) are a group of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6), produced by bacterial biohydrogenation in the ruminant gut (15). The best sources for CLAs in the human diet are ruminant meat and dairy products (16,17), in which the two predominant isomers are cis 9, trans 11 ( c 9 ,t 11) and trans 10, cis 12 ( t 10, c 12) CLA. In rodents, a crude mixture of CLA isomers is shown to have anticarcinogenic (18), antiatherogenic (19,20), antidiabetic (21),...