scholarly journals Identification of biomarkers of brown adipose tissue aging highlights the role of dysfunctional energy and nucleotide metabolism pathways

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Mancini ◽  
Sabrina Gohlke ◽  
Francisco Garcia-Carrizo ◽  
Vyacheslav Zagoriy ◽  
Heike Stephanowitz ◽  
...  

AbstractBrown adipose tissue function declines during aging and may contribute to the onset of metabolic disorders such as diabetes and obesity. Only limited understanding of the mechanisms leading to the metabolic impairment of brown adipocytes during aging exists. To this end, interscapular brown adipose tissue samples were collected from young and aged mice for quantification of differential gene expression and metabolite levels. To identify potential processes involved in brown adipocyte dysfunction, metabolite concentrations were correlated to aging and significantly changed candidates were subsequently integrated with a non-targeted proteomic dataset and gene expression analyses. Our results include novel age-dependent correlations of polar intermediates in brown adipose tissue. Identified metabolites clustered around three biochemical processes, specifically energy metabolism, nucleotide metabolism and vitamin metabolism. One mechanism of brown adipose tissue dysfunction may be linked to mast cell activity, and we identify increased histamine levels in aged brown fat as a potential biomarker. In addition, alterations of genes involved in synthesis and degradation of many metabolites were mainly observed in the mature brown adipocyte fraction as opposed to the stromal vascular fraction. These findings may provide novel insights on the molecular mechanisms contributing to the impaired thermogenesis of brown adipocytes during aging.

1982 ◽  
Vol 242 (6) ◽  
pp. E353-E359 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Bukowiecki ◽  
A. J. Collet ◽  
N. Follea ◽  
G. Guay ◽  
L. Jahjah

Cold acclimation (4 degrees C) and "cafeteria diets" increased the thermic response of rats to catecholamines. This phenomenon was accompanied by six- to eightfold increases of interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) weight, total tissue cytochrome oxidase activity, and total number of brown adipocytes. Quantitative radioautographic experiments using [3H]thymidine disclosed that cold exposure markedly enhanced the mitotic activity in blood capillaries and small-venule endothelial cells, adipose tissue interstitial cells, and preadipocytes rather than in fully differentiated brown adipocytes. IBAT mitotic index increased 70 times over control values after only 2 days of cold exposure. Thereafter, the proliferative activity progressively decreased. IBAT cell composition was modified during cold acclimation as the percentage of interstitial cells and preadipocytes increased over the other cellular types. Because brown adipose tissue is the principal site of norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis in homeothermal animals, it is suggested that brown adipocyte proliferation from precursor cells represents the fundamental phenomenon explaining the increased capacity of cold-acclimated animals to respond calorigenically to catecholamines.


Endocrinology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (3) ◽  
pp. 1162-1173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meritxell Rosell ◽  
Elayne Hondares ◽  
Sadahiko Iwamoto ◽  
Frank J. Gonzalez ◽  
Martin Wabitsch ◽  
...  

Retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) is a serum protein involved in the transport of vitamin A. It is known to be produced by the liver and white adipose tissue. RBP4 release by white fat has been proposed to induce insulin resistance. We analyzed the regulation and production of RBP4 in brown adipose tissue. RBP4 gene expression is induced in brown fat from mice exposed to cold or treated with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) agonists. In brown adipocytes in culture, norepinephrine, cAMP, and activators of PPARγ and PPARα induced RBP4 gene expression and RBP4 protein release. The induction of RBP4 gene expression by norepinephrine required intact PPAR-dependent pathways, as evidenced by impaired response of the RBP4 gene expression to norepinephrine in PPARα-null brown adipocytes or in the presence of inhibitors of PPARγ and PPARα. PPARγ and norepinephrine can also induce the RBP4 gene in white adipocytes, and overexpression of PPARα confers regulation by this PPAR subtype to white adipocytes. The RBP4 gene promoter transcription is activated by cAMP, PPARα, and PPARγ. This is mediated by a PPAR-responsive element capable of binding PPARα and PPARγ and required also for activation by cAMP. The induction of the RBP4 gene expression by norepinephrine in brown adipocytes is protein synthesis dependent and requires PPARγ-coactivator-1-α, which acts as a norepinephine-induced coactivator of PPAR on the RBP4 gene. We conclude that PPARγ- and PPARα-mediated signaling controls RBP4 gene expression and releases in brown adipose tissue, and thermogenic activation induces RBP4 gene expression in brown fat through mechanisms involving PPARγ-coactivator-1-α coactivation of PPAR signaling.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Muley ◽  
Stefan Kotschi ◽  
Alexander Bartelt

The acclimatization of brown adipose tissue (BAT) to sustained cold exposure requires an adaptive increase in proteasomal protein quality control. Ubiquilins represent a recently identified family of shuttle proteins with versatile functions in protein degradation, such as facilitating substrate targeting and proteasomal degradation. However, whether ubiquilins participate in brown adipocyte function has not been investigated so far. Here, we determine the role of ubiquilins for proteostasis and non-shivering thermogenesis in brown adipocytes. We found that Ubqln1, 2 and 4 are highly expressed in BAT and their expression was induced by cold and proteasomal inhibition. Surprisingly, silencing of ubiquilin gene expression (one or multiple in combinations) did not lead to aggravated ER stress or inflammation. Moreover, ubiquitin level and proteasomal activity under basal conditions were not impacted by loss of ubiquilins. Also, non-shivering thermogenesis measured by norepinephrine-induced respiration remained intact after loss of ubiquilins. In conclusion, ubiquilin proteins are highly abundant in BAT and regulated by cold, but they are dispensable for brown adipocyte proteostasis and thermogenesis.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (3) ◽  
pp. C989-C999 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Shenoy ◽  
L. Cassis

Angiotensin (ANG) II plays a vital role in blood pressure regulation and body fluid homeostasis. Although many peripheral tissues synthesize components of the renin-ANG system, very few synthesize all of the major components involved in the generation ofANG II. This study used interscapular brown adipose tissue (ISBAT) as a model system to evaluate the mechanism of ANG II generation in an extrarenal tissue. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of DNA from ISBAT demonstrated angiotensinogen gene expression; however, renin gene expression was not detected. Renin activity that was not completely derived from the residual blood pool was detected in ISBAT homogenates. Kinetic parameters for renin activity were similar in ISBAT and adrenal gland. Renin activity was partially inhibited by anti-renin antibody and completely inhibited by a specific rat renin inhibitor. Bilateral nephrectomy did not decrease renin activity in ISBAT. Western blot analysis, employing two species-specific renin antibodies, indicated the presence of a variety of isoforms of renin in ISBAT. The presence of renin activity in isolated brown adipocytes demonstrated that the enzyme is localized to adipocytes. The release of immunoreactive ANG peptides from ISBAT slices over 3 h indicated de novo synthesis. These studies support the existence of a local renin-ANG system in ISBAT and suggest involvement of renin in the formation of ANG II.


1980 ◽  
Vol 238 (6) ◽  
pp. E552-E563 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Bukowiecki ◽  
N. Follea ◽  
A. Paradis ◽  
A. Collet

Regulation of respiration by catecholamines was studied in adipocytes isolated from interscapular brown adipose tissue of warm-acclimated rats by rapid digestion of collagenase. (-)-Norepinephrine stimulated adipocyte respiration 10–12 times above basal values in less than 3 min. (Vmax = 410 +/- 29.5 nmol O2 . min-1 . 10(-6) cells-1). Stimulated respiration remained stable for at least 20 min, provided that cells were incubated in balanced salt media containing bicarbonate. The maximal capacity of total brown adipose tissue for norepinephrine-stimulated respitarion was estimated at 1.5 ml O2/min per rat. beta-Adrenergic agonists increased calorigenesis stereospecifically with an order of potency expected for respiratory stimulation via adrenoceptors of the beta 1-subtype: (-)-isoproterenol (1/2 Vmax = 2 nM) greater than (-)-norepinephrine (1/2 Vmax = 20 nM) approximately equal to (-)-epinephrine (1/2 Vmax = 40 nM) greater than corresponding (+)-stereoisomers. The alpha-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (1/2 Vmax = 5 microM) stimulated adipocyte respiration as rapidly and as effectively as beta-agonists. Although alpha-adrenoreceptors are present in brown adipose tissue, studies with alpha- and beta-adrenergic antagonists revealed that norepinephrine elicits thermogenesis at physiological concentrations (less than or equal to 1 microM) predominantely via beta 1-adrenergic pathways.


2012 ◽  
Vol 443 (3) ◽  
pp. 799-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordi Armengol ◽  
Josep A. Villena ◽  
Elayne Hondares ◽  
María C. Carmona ◽  
Hei Sook Sul ◽  
...  

Pref-1 (pre-adipocyte factor-1) is known to play a central role in regulating white adipocyte differentiation, but the role of Pref-1 in BAT (brown adipose tissue) has not been analysed. In the present study we found that Pref-1 expression is high in fetal BAT and declines progressively after birth. However, Pref-1-null mice showed unaltered fetal development of BAT, but exhibited signs of over-activation of BAT thermogenesis in the post-natal period. In C/EBP (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein) α-null mice, a rodent model of impaired fetal BAT differentiation, Pref-1 was dramatically overexpressed, in association with reduced expression of the Ucp1 (uncoupling protein 1) gene, a BAT-specific marker of thermogenic differentiation. In brown adipocyte cell culture models, Pref-1 was mostly expressed in pre-adipocytes and declined with brown adipocyte differentiation. The transcription factor C/EBPδ activated the Pref-1 gene transcription in brown adipocytes, through binding to the proximal promoter region. Accordingly, siRNA (small interfering RNA)-induced C/EBPδ knockdown led to reduced Pref-1 gene expression. This effect is consistent with the observed overexpression of C/EBPδ in C/EBPα-null BAT and high expression of C/EBPδ in brown pre-adipocytes. Dexamethasone treatment of brown pre-adipocytes suppressed Pref-1 down-regulation occurring throughout the brown adipocyte differentiation process, increased the expression of C/EBPδ and strongly impaired expression of the thermogenic markers UCP1 and PGC-1α [PPARγ (peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor γ) co-activator-α]. However, it did not alter normal fat accumulation or expression of non-BAT-specific genes. Collectively, these results specifically implicate Pref-1 in controlling the thermogenic gene expression program in BAT, and identify C/EBPδ as a novel transcriptional regulator of Pref-1 gene expression that may be related to the specific role of glucocorticoids in BAT differentiation.


1989 ◽  
Vol 263 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
J A Woodward ◽  
E D Saggerson

1. Rats were made hypothyroid by giving them a low-iodine diet with propylthiouracil for 4 weeks, or were made hyperthyroid by injection with tri-iodothyronine (T3) over a 3-day period. 2. Brown adipocytes were isolated from the interscapular depots of these animals or from their euthyroid controls, followed by isolation of mitochondria from the cells. 3. Relative to cell DNA content, hypothyroidism decreased the maximum binding (Bmax.) of [3H]GDP to mitochondria by 50%. T3 treatment increased binding by 37%. 4. These findings, which are discussed in relation to previously observed changes in brown adipose tissue after alteration of thyroid status, suggest that mitochondrial uncoupling for thermogenesis is less or more effective in hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism respectively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (19) ◽  
pp. 10391
Author(s):  
Takuya Sakurai ◽  
Toshiyuki Fukutomi ◽  
Sachiko Yamamoto ◽  
Eriko Nozaki ◽  
Takako Kizaki

In recent years, brown adipose tissue (BAT), which has a high heat-producing capacity, has been confirmed to exist even in adults, and it has become a focal point for the prevention and the improvement of obesity and lifestyle-related diseases. However, the influences of obesity and physical activity (PA) on the fluid factors secreted from BAT (brown adipokines) are not well understood. In this study, therefore, we focused on brown adipokines and investigated the effects of obesity and PA. The abnormal expressions of gene fluid factors such as galectin-3 (Lgals3) and Lgals3 binding protein (Lgals3bp), whose proteins are secreted from HB2 brown adipocytes, were observed in the interscapular BAT of obese mice fed a high-fat diet for 4 months. PA attenuated the abnormalities in the expressions of these genes. Furthermore, although the gene expressions of factors related to brown adipocyte differentiation such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-α were also down-regulated in the BAT of the obese mice, PA suppressed the down-regulation of these factors. On the other hand, lipogenesis was increased more in HB2 cells overexpressing Lgals3 compared with that in control cells, and the overexpression of Lgals3bp decreased the mitochondrial mass. These results indicate that PA attenuates the obesity-induced dysregulated expression of brown adipokines and suggests that Lgals3 and Lgals3bp are involved in brown adipocyte differentiation.


1997 ◽  
Vol 321 (3) ◽  
pp. 759-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pertti KUUSELA ◽  
Stefan REHNMARK ◽  
Anders JACOBSSON ◽  
Barbara CANNON ◽  
Jan NEDERGAARD

In order to investigate whether the positive effect of adrenergic stimulation on lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene expression in brown adipose tissue is a direct effect on the brown adipocytes themselves, the expression of the LPL gene was investigated by measuring LPL mRNA levels in brown adipocytes, isolated as precursors from the brown adipose tissue of rats and grown in culture in a fully defined medium before experimentation. Addition of noradrenaline led to an enhancement of LPL gene expression; the mRNA levels increased as a linear function of time for at least 5 h and were finally approx. 3 times higher than in control cells, an increase commensurate with that seen in vivoin both LPL mRNA levels and LPL activity during physiological stimulation. The increase was dependent on transcription. The effect of noradrenaline showed simple MichaelisŐMenten kinetics with an EC50 of approx. 11 nM. β3-Agonists (BRL-37344 and CGP-12177) could mimic the effect of noradrenaline; the β1-agonist dobutamine and the β2-agonist salbutamol could not; the α1-agonist cirazoline had only a weak effect. The effect of noradrenaline was fully inhibited by the β-antagonist propranolol and was halved by the α1-antagonist prazosin; the α2-antagonist yohimbine was without effect. An increase in LPL mRNA level similar to (but not significantly exceeding) that caused by noradrenaline could also be induced by the cAMP-elevating agents forskolin and cholera toxin, and 8-Br-cAMP also increased LPL mRNA levels. The increase in LPL gene expression was not mediated via an increase in the level of an intermediary proteinaceous factor. It is concluded that the physiologically induced increase in LPL gene expression is a direct effect of noradrenaline on the brown adipocytes themselves, mediated via a dominant β3-adrenergic pathway and an auxillary α1-adrenergic pathway which converge at a regulatory point in transcriptional control.


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