Abstract
ObjectiveThe current review summarizes recent advances in the origin of brown adipocytes in rodents and humans.MethodsThis review describes recent insights into induction of the brown adipocyte phenotype (BAP) in white fat (WAT) revealed by murine studies during the early postnatal period and reversible temperature transitions. The origin of adipocytes and identity of progenitors as indicated by lineage tracing experiments are reviewed.ResultsWe describe a genetic model for brown adipocyte development that involves the appearance of brown adipocytes in WAT at 21 days of age and a mechanism of post‐weaning involution relevant for acquisition of the BAP in fully functional WAT in mice. Under normal physiological conditions, the BAP is dormant with the potential to be stimulated by changes in the external environment. Current evidence for the acquisition of brown adipocytes by interconversion of mature adipocytes versus de novo recruitment of progenitors suggests that mechanisms for acquisition of the BAP in WAT in mice are depot‐specific and controlled by allelic variation.ConclusionsAlthough the BAP is highly variable among mice, there is no information on genetic variability in the expression of brown adipocytes in humans. Thus, deeper understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying development of functional brown adipocytes is crucial.
Highlights
Obesity develops as a result of chronic energy imbalance, when energy consumption exceeds energy expenditure (EE)
We describe the progression in the development of functional BAs in white adipose tissue (WAT) from the early postnatal period that first involves a biosynthetic phase from birth until 21 days of age, followed by development of a mechanism of involution in the post-weaning period that is essential for the dynamic brown adipocyte phenotype (BAP) that waxes and wanes with the requirements for thermogenesis
We demonstrated that development of BAs in inguinal WAT (iWAT) and retroperitoneal WAT (rWAT) occurs independently of the ambient temperature, between 10 and 21 days of age, with a greater BAP reported in 21-day-old mice raised at 178C compared to animals reared at 298C from birth until weaning [11]
Summary
The current review summarizes recent advances in the origin of brown adipocytes in rodents and humans. Methods: This review describes recent insights into induction of the brown adipocyte phenotype (BAP) in white fat (WAT) revealed by murine studies during the early postnatal period and reversible temperature transitions. Current evidence for the acquisition of brown adipocytes by interconversion of mature adipocytes versus de novo recruitment of progenitors suggests that mechanisms for acquisition of the BAP in WAT in mice are depot-specific and controlled by allelic variation. Conclusions: the BAP is highly variable among mice, there is no information on genetic variability in the expression of brown adipocytes in humans. Deeper understanding of genetic mechanisms underlying development of functional brown adipocytes is crucial
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