Abstract
In murine and human brown adipose tissue (BAT), mitochondria are powerful generators of heat that safely metabolize fat, a feature that has great promise in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Recent studies suggest that the actions of mitochondria extend beyond their conventional role as generators of heat. There is mounting evidence that impaired mitochondrial respiratory capacity is accompanied by attenuated expression of Ucp1 and other BAT-selective genes, implying that mitochondria exert transcriptional control over the brown fat gene program. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of brown fat mitochondria, their potential role in transcriptional control of the brown fat gene program, and potential strategies to treat obesity in humans by leveraging thermogenesis in brown adipocytes.
Highlights
Brown fat is composed of thermogenic adipocytes that convert chemical energy to heat
This review summarizes the features of brown fat mitochondria and discusses their potential role in transcriptional control of the brown fat gene program and its therapeutic implications in humans
Leucine-Rich Pentatricopeptide Repeat Containing Motif (LRPPRC; called Leucine-Rich Protein 130 kDa, LRP130) A potential role of mitochondrial respiratory capacity in the brown fat gene program was reported in a study using LRPPRCdeficient brown adipocytes [11]
Summary
In murine and human brown adipose tissue (BAT), mitochondria are powerful generators of heat that safely metabolize fat, a feature that has great promise in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Recent studies suggest that the actions of mitochondria extend beyond their conventional role as generators of heat. There is mounting evidence that impaired mitochondrial respiratory capacity is accompanied by attenuated expression of Ucp and other BAT-selective genes, implying that mitochondria exert transcriptional control over the brown fat gene program. We discuss the current understanding of brown fat mitochondria, their potential role in transcriptional control of the brown fat gene program, and potential strategies to treat obesity in humans by leveraging thermogenesis in brown adipocytes
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