Stearoyl--CoA desaturase (SCD) plays an important role in converting saturated fatty acids (SFA) to monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Changes in SCD activity and alterations in the balance between MUFA and SFA are implicated in various disease states including diabetes obesity and arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, SCDl is believed to play a role in fat deposition, which is the general focus of the current study. Hence, investigating the mechanism involving SCDl regulation may help the understanding of fat deposition in farm animals and obesity in humans.