Norepinephrine does not stimulate protein and UCP synthesis in brown adipocytes of golden Syrian hamsters

1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (1) ◽  
pp. R103-R110 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Desautels ◽  
R. A. Dulos

Hamster brown adipocytes were incubated for up to 24 h with or without norepinephrine (NE) in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin, calf serum, and antibiotics. Brown fat cells were viable for 24 h as defined by their ability to respond to NE by a 10-fold increase in oxygen consumption. However, prolonged exposure of the cells to NE led to a decline in NE-stimulated rates of O2 consumption, which was not the result of loss of cell thermogenic capacity. Brown fat cells incubated for 24 h with or without NE showed no significant change in succinate dehydrogenase activity or uncoupling protein (UCP) content. However, cell recovery after 24 h was significantly reduced in the absence of NE. In brown adipocytes isolated from rat, NE increased [35S]methionine incorporation into cell proteins and UCP. In contrast, [35S]methionine incorporation in hamster brown adipocyte proteins and UCP was greater than in rat brown fat cells and was not increased by NE. These results indicate that although NE may be required for cell survival, it does not stimulate protein and UCP synthesis in hamster brown fat cells.

1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (5) ◽  
pp. R1003-R1012
Author(s):  
D. Waldbillig ◽  
M. Desautels

Rat brown adipocytes were incubated for 24 h with or without norepinephrine (NE) in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium with albumin, calf serum, and antibiotics. Brown fat cells were viable as defined by unchanged cell morphology, ATP content, or basal and NE-stimulated respiration. However, a 24-h exposure to NE led to a decline in NE-stimulated respiration that was not due to loss of thermogenic capacity. Brown fat cells incubated with or without NE had similar protein, succinate dehydrogenase, and uncoupling protein (UCP) content. These results differ from those observed after food deprivation in rats where loss of mitochondrial proteins occurs within 24 h, suggesting that reduced exposure to NE is not the only factor responsible for brown fat atrophy. NE increased [35S]methionine incorporation into cellular proteins, mitochondrial proteins, and UCP. The effect of NE on cell protein synthesis was inhibited by propranolol but not by prazosin. It was also inhibited 95% by cycloheximide but only partially (50%) by actinomycin D in contrast to NE stimulation of UCP labeling, which required RNA transcription. Chloramphenicol-sensitive protein synthesis was stimulated by NE. These results indicate a trophic action of NE in brown adipocytes exerted both at the level of RNA transcription and translation.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (2) ◽  
pp. C679-C686 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Lee ◽  
P. A. Pappone

Sympathetic stimulation of brown adipocytes plays a major role in body energy homeostasis by activating energy-wasting pathways. Sympathetic neuronal input initiates a variety of metabolic, developmental, and membrane responses in brown fat cells. Many of these actions are mediated by adrenergic pathways mobilized by released norepinephrine. However, since sympathetic stimulation may also release vesicular ATP, we tested brown fat cells for ATP responses. Micromolar concentrations of extracellular ATP had a number of effects on brown adipocytes. We have shown previously that ATP elicits substantial (average of approximately 30%) increases in cell membrane capacitance (P. A. Pappone and S. C. Lee, J. Gen. Physiol. 108: 393-404, 1996). Here, we show that cytosolic calcium levels were increased by ATP, both through release from intracellular stores and through influx, as assessed by fura 2 imaging. In addition, ATP indirectly activated a nonselective cation conductance that was independent of cytosolic calcium levels in patch voltage-clamped brown fat cells. Similar calcium, conductance, and capacitance responses could be activated by 2-methylthio-ATP and ADP, consistent with mediation by a P2 type purinergic receptor. Calorimetric measurements from cell suspensions showed that ATP increased basal heat production of isolated brown fat cells by approximately 40% but had no effect on the greater than fivefold increase in heat production seen with maximal adrenergic stimulation. These myriad responses to extracellular ATP suggest that P2 receptor-mediated signaling is important in brown adipocyte physiology and that sympathetic stimulation may normally activate purinergic as well as adrenergic pathways in brown fat.


2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (7) ◽  
pp. 615-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongguo Li ◽  
David Lasar ◽  
Tobias Fromme ◽  
Martin Klingenspor

Brown fat is a specialized heater organ in eutherian mammals. In contrast to the energy storage function of white adipocytes, brown adipocytes dissipate nutrient energy by uncoupling of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, which depends on uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). UCP1, as well as UCP2 and UCP3, belong to the family of mitochondrial carriers inserted into the inner mitochondrial membrane for metabolite trafficking between the matrix and the intermembrane space. UCP1 transports protons into the mitochondrial matrix when activated by a rise in free fatty acid levels in the cell. This UCP1-dependant proton leak drives high oxygen consumption rates in the absence of ATP synthesis and dissipates proton motive force as heat. The enormous heating capacity of brown fat is supported by dense vascularization, high rates of tissue perfusion, and high mitochondrial density in brown adipocytes. It has been known for more than 50 years that nonshivering thermogenesis in brown fat serves to maintain body temperature of neonates and small mammals in cold environments, and is used by hibernators for arousal from torpor. It has been speculated that the development of brown fat as a new source for nonshivering thermogenesis provided mammals with a unique advantage for survival in the cold. Indeed brown fat and UCP1 is found in ancient groups of mammals, like the afrotherians and marsupials. In the latter, however, the thermogenic function of UCP1 and brown fat has not been demonstrated as of yet. Notably, orthologs of all three mammalian UCP genes are also present in the genomes of bony fishes and in amphibians. Molecular phylogeny reveals a striking increase in the substitution rate of UCP1 between marsupial and eutherian lineages. At present, it seems that UCP1 only gained thermogenic function in brown adipocytes of eutherian mammals, whereas the function of UCP1 and that of the other UCPs in ectotherms remains to be identified. Evolution of thermogenic function required expression of UCP1 in a brown-adipocyte-like cell equipped with high mitochondrial density embedded in a well-vascularized tissue. Brown-adipocyte-like cells in white adipose tissue, called “brite” (brown-in-white) or “beige” adipocytes, emerge during adipogenesis and in response to cold exposure in anatomically distinct adipose tissue depots of juvenile and adult rodents. These brite adipocytes may resemble the archetypical brown adipocyte in vertebrate evolution. It is therefore of interest to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of brite adipocyte differentiation, study the bioenergetic properties of these cells, and search for the presence of related brown-adipocyte-like cells in nonmammalian vertebrates.


2002 ◽  
Vol 282 (1) ◽  
pp. C105-C112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bibian García ◽  
Maria-Jesús Obregón

To study the effect of the mitogens epidermal growth factor (EGF), acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (aFGF and bFGF), and vasopressin on brown adipocyte differentiation, we analyzed the expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) mRNA. Quiescent brown preadipocytes express high levels of UCP-1 mRNA in response to triiodothyronine (T3) and norepinephrine (NE). The addition of serum or the mitogenic condition aFGF + vasopressin + NE or EGF + vasopressin + NE decreases UCP-1 mRNA. A second addition of mitogens further decreases UCP-1 mRNA. Treatment with aFGF or bFGF alone increases UCP-1 mRNA, whereas the addition of EGF or vasopressin dramatically reduces UCP-1 mRNA levels. The continuous presence of T3 increases UCP-1 mRNA levels in cells treated with EGF, aFGF, or bFGF. The effect of T3 on the stimulation of DNA synthesis also was tested. T3 inhibits the mitogenic activity of aFGF and bFGF. In conclusion, mitogens like aFGF or bFGF allow brown adipocyte differentiation, whereas EGF and vasopressin inhibit the differentiation process. T3 behaves as an important hormone that regulates both brown adipocyte proliferation and differentiation.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (2) ◽  
pp. C349-C356 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. C. Lee ◽  
J. S. Hamilton ◽  
T. Trammell ◽  
B. A. Horwitz ◽  
P. A. Pappone

The activity of the uncoupling protein in brown fat mitochondria is enhanced at alkaline pH, leading to the hypothesis that changes in intracellular pH (pHi) may modulate the thermogenic response to sympathetic stimulation. We employed ratio imaging of the fluorescent dye 2',7'-bis(carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein to measure pHi in acutely isolated single brown fat cells from hamster and neonatal rat and in cultured rat cells. Basal pHi averaged approximately 7.2 in HCO3- media and 0.1-0.15 pH units lower in nominally HCO3(-)-free media in all cell types. In both HCO3- and HCO3(-)-free media, stimulation with norepinephrine (NE) typically caused an alkalinization of approximately 0.05-0.1 pH units, which was followed by a smaller net acidification occurring primarily after NE was removed. Alkalinization seemed to be mediated predominantly by alpha-adrenergic stimulation, while acidification most often followed beta-adrenergic activation. Similar pHi changes were elicited by NE in rat and hamster cells, but responses were more frequent in hamster cells. Assays of recovery from ammonium prepulse-induced acid loads indicated that rat and hamster cells have both Na(+)-H+ and Na(+)- and HCO3(-)-dependent regulatory systems, while hamster cells have, in addition, a Na(+)-independent recovery mechanism activated at acid pHi. We conclude that alpha-adrenergic alkalinization of brown fat may contribute to the control of thermogenesis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saki Takayanagi ◽  
Kengo Watanabe ◽  
Takeshi Maruyama ◽  
Motoyuki Ogawa ◽  
Kazuhiro Morishita ◽  
...  

AbstractRecent studies have shown that adipose tissue is an immunological organ. While inflammation in energy-storing white adipose tissues has been the focus of intense research, the regulatory mechanisms of inflammation in heat-producing brown adipose tissues remain largely unknown. We previously identified apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) as a critical regulator of brown adipocyte maturation; the PKA-ASK1-p38 axis facilitates uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) induction cell-autonomously. Here, we show that ASK1 suppresses an innate immune pathway and contributes to maintenance of brown adipocytes. We report a novel chemical pull-down method for endogenous kinases using analog sensitive kinase allele (ASKA) technology and identify an ASK1 interactor in brown adipocytes, receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (RIPK2). ASK1 disrupts the RIPK2 signaling complex and inhibits the NOD-RIPK2 pathway to downregulate the production of inflammatory cytokines. As a potential biological significance, an in vitro model for intercellular regulation suggests that ASK1 facilitates the expression of UCP1 through the suppression of inflammatory cytokine production. In parallel to our previous report on the PKA-ASK1-p38 axis, our work raises the possibility of an auxiliary role of ASK1 in brown adipocyte maintenance through neutralizing the thermogenesis-suppressive effect of the NOD-RIPK2 pathway.


2017 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Kohlie ◽  
Nina Perwitz ◽  
Julia Resch ◽  
Sebastian M Schmid ◽  
Hendrik Lehnert ◽  
...  

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is key to energy homeostasis. By virtue of its thermogenic potential, it may dissipate excessive energy, regulate body weight and increase insulin sensitivity. Catecholamines are critically involved in the regulation of BAT thermogenesis, yet research has focussed on the effects of noradrenaline and adrenaline. Some evidence suggests a role of dopamine (DA) in BAT thermogenesis, but the cellular mechanisms involved have not been addressed. We employed our extensively characterised murine brown adipocyte cells. D1-like and D2-like receptors were detectable at the protein level. Stimulation with DA caused an increase in cAMP concentrations. Oxygen consumption rates (OCR), mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) levels increased after 24 h of treatment with either DA or a D1-like specific receptor agonist. A D1-like receptor antagonist abolished the DA-mediated effect on OCR, Δψm and UCP1. DA induced the release of fatty acids, which did not additionally alter DA-mediated increases of OCR. Mitochondrial mass (as determined by (i) CCCP- and oligomycin-mediated effects on OCR and (ii) immunoblot analysis of mitochondrial proteins) also increased within 24 h. This was accompanied by an increase in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1 alpha protein levels. Also, DA caused an increase in p38 MAPK phosphorylation and pharmacological inhibition of p38 MAPK abolished the DA-mediated effect on Δψm. In summary, our study is the first to reveal direct D1-like receptor and p38 MAPK-mediated increases of thermogenesis and mitochondrial mass in brown adipocytes. These results expand our understanding of catecholaminergic effects on BAT thermogenesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Won Kon Kim ◽  
Baek-Soo Han

Abstract Brown adipocytes play important roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis by uncoupling protein 1-mediated non-shivering thermogenesis. Recent studies suggest that brown adipocytes as novel therapeutic targets for combating obesity and associated diseases, such as type II diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying brown adipocyte differentiation and function are not fully understood. We employed previous findings obtained through proteomic studies performed to assess proteins displaying altered levels during brown adipocyte differentiation. Here, we performed assays to determine the functional significance of their altered levels during brown adipogenesis and development. We identified isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) as upregulated during brown adipocyte differentiation, with subsequent investigations revealing that ectopic expression of IDH1 inhibited brown adipogenesis, whereas suppression of IDH1 levels promoted differentiation of brown adipocytes. Additionally, Idh1 overexpression resulted in increased levels of intracellular α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) and inhibited the expression of genes involved in brown adipogenesis. Exogenous treatment with α-KG reduced brown adipogenesis during the early phase of differentiation, and ChIP analysis revealed that IDH1-mediated α-KG reduced trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 4 in the promoters of genes associated with brown adipogenesis. Furthermore, administration of α-KG decreased adipogenic gene expression by modulating histone methylation in brown adipose tissues of mice. These results suggested that the IDH1–α-KG axis plays an important role in regulating brown adipocyte differentiation and might represent a therapeutic target for treating metabolic diseases.


2001 ◽  
Vol 356 (2) ◽  
pp. 659-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karine MOULIN ◽  
Nathalie TRUEL ◽  
Mireille ANDRÉ ◽  
Emmanuelle ARNAULD ◽  
Maryse NIBBELINK ◽  
...  

In mammals, two types of adipose tissue are present, brown and white. They develop sequentially, as brown fat occurs during late gestation whereas white fat grows mainly after birth. However, both tissues have been shown to have great plasticity. Thus an apparent transformation of brown fat into white fat takes place during post-natal development. This observation raises questions about a possible conversion of brown into white adipocytes during development, although indirect data argue against this hypothesis. To investigate such questions in vivo, we generated two types of transgenic line. The first carried a transgene expressing Cre recombinase specifically in brown adipocytes under the control of the rat UCP1 promoter. The second corresponded to an inactive lacZ gene under the control of the human cytomegalovirus promoter. This dormant gene is inducible by Cre because it contains a Stop sequence between two loxP sequences, separating the promoter from the coding sequence. Adipose tissues of progeny derived by crossing independent lines established from both constructs were investigated. LacZ mRNA corresponding to the activated reporter gene was easily detected in brown fat and not typically in white fat, even by reverse transcriptase PCR experiments. These data represent the first direct experimental proof that, during normal development, most white adipocytes do not derive from brown adipocytes.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (2) ◽  
pp. E386-E394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Penfornis ◽  
Say Viengchareun ◽  
Damien Le Menuet ◽  
Françoise Cluzeaud ◽  
Maria-Christina Zennaro ◽  
...  

By use of targeted oncogenesis, a brown adipocyte cell line was derived from a hibernoma of a transgenic mouse carrying the proximal promoter of the human mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) linked to the SV40 large T antigen. T37i cells remain capable of differentiating into brown adipocytes upon insulin and triiodothyronine treatment as judged by their ability to express uncoupling protein 1 and maintain MR expression. Aldosterone treatment of undifferentiated cells induced accumulation of intracytoplasmic lipid droplets and mitochondria. This effect was accompanied by a significant and dose-dependent increase in intracellular triglyceride content (half-maximally effective dose 10−9 M) and involved MR, because it was unaffected by RU-38486 treatment but was totally abolished in the presence of aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone, RU-26752). The expression of early adipogenic gene markers, such as lipoprotein lipase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ, and adipocyte-specific fatty acid binding protein 2, was enhanced by aldosterone, confirming activation of the differentiation process. We demonstrate that, in the T37i cell line, aldosterone participates in the very early induction of brown adipocyte differentiation. Our findings may have a broader biological significance and suggest that MR is not only implicated in maintaining electrolyte homeostasis but could also play a role in metabolism and energy balance.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document