scholarly journals Programming mediated by fatty acids affects uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) in brown adipose tissue

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Perla P. Argentato ◽  
Helena de Cássia César ◽  
Débora Estadella ◽  
Luciana P. Pisani

AbstractBrown adipose tissue (BAT) has recently been given more attention for the part it plays in obesity. BAT can generate great amounts of heat through thermogenesis by the activation of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1), which can be regulated by many environmental factors such as diet. Moreover, the build-up of BAT relates to maternal nutritional changes during pregnancy and lactation. However, at present, there is a limited number of studies looking at maternal nutrition and BAT development, and it seems that the research trend in this field has been considerably declining since the 1980s. There is much to discover yet about the role of different fatty acids on the development of BAT and the activation of UCP-1 during the fetal and the postnatal periods of life. A better understanding of the impact of nutritional intervention on the epigenetic regulation of BAT could lead to new preventive care for metabolic diseases such as obesity. It is important to know in which circumstances lipids could programme BAT during pregnancy and lactation. The modification of maternal dietary fatty acids, amount and composition, during pregnancy and lactation might be a promising strategy for the prevention of obesity in the offspring and future generations.

Author(s):  
Andreas D. Flouris ◽  
Petros C. Dinas ◽  
Angelica Valente ◽  
Cláudia Marlise Balbinotti Andrade ◽  
Nair Honda Kawashita ◽  
...  

AbstractUnderstanding the impact of regular exercise training on uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) activity in classical brown adipose tissue (


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (22) ◽  
pp. 6973-6978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Lee ◽  
Chrissie Willers ◽  
Edmund R. S. Kunji ◽  
Paul G. Crichton

Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) catalyzes fatty acid-activated, purine nucleotide-sensitive proton leak across the mitochondrial inner membrane of brown adipose tissue to produce heat, and could help combat obesity and metabolic disease in humans. Studies over the last 30 years conclude that the protein is a dimer, binding one nucleotide molecule per two proteins, and unlike the related mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier, does not bind cardiolipin. Here, we have developed novel methods to purify milligram amounts of UCP1 from native sources by using covalent chromatography that, unlike past methods, allows the protein to be prepared in defined conditions, free of excess detergent and lipid. Assessment of purified preparations by TLC reveal that UCP1 retains tightly bound cardiolipin, with a lipid phosphorus content equating to three molecules per protein, like the ADP/ATP carrier. Cardiolipin stabilizes UCP1, as demonstrated by reconstitution experiments and thermostability assays, indicating that the lipid has an integral role in the functioning of the protein, similar to other mitochondrial carriers. Furthermore, we find that UCP1 is not dimeric but monomeric, as indicated by size exclusion analysis, and has a ligand titration profile in isothermal calorimetric measurements that clearly shows that one nucleotide binds per monomer. These findings reveal the fundamental composition of UCP1, which is essential for understanding the mechanism of the protein. Our assessment of the properties of UCP1 indicate that it is not unique among mitochondrial carriers and so is likely to use a common exchange mechanism in its primary function in brown adipose tissue mitochondria.


2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 840-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sachiko Nomura ◽  
Takashi Ichinose ◽  
Manabu Jinde ◽  
Yu Kawashima ◽  
Kaoru Tachiyashiki ◽  
...  

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