With the aim of identifying novel molecular pathways in the adipocyte, we conducted differential screening of DNA filter arrays with probes from 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and adipocytes, and discovered a novel 0.7kb transcript we term small adipocyte factor 1 (SMAF1). SMAF1 encodes a wholly novel 10kDa protein. Transfection and localization studies of a SMAF1-EGFP fusion construct indicate nuclear localization, suggestive of a possible regulatory role. Northern blot analysis of various murine tissues indicates adipose tissue-restricted expression, and fractionation of adipose tissue reveals that SMAF1 is expressed soley in adipocytes and not in the stromal-vascular cell population. Northern blot analysis of brown and white adipogenic conversion reveals that expression of SMAF1 closely parallels emergence of an adipocyte phenotype and that TNFalpha-mediated dedifferentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes results in a rapid decline of SMAF1 transcript. These data indicate that SMAF1 is closely tied to the adipocyte phenotype and predict a novel and possibly regulatory role for this gene in adipocyte function. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.