Brown adipose tissue: Updates in cellular and molecular biology.
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is mainly composed of adipocytes, it is highly vascularized and innervated, and can be activated in adult humans. Brown adipocytes are responsible for performing non-shivering thermogenesis, which is exclusively mediated by uncoupling protein (UCP) -1 (a protein found in the inner mitochondrial membrane), the hallmark of BAT, responsible for the uncoupling of the proton leakage from the ATP production, therefore, generating heat (i.e. thermogenesis). Besides UCP1, other compounds are essential not only to thermogenesis, but also to the proliferation and differentiation of BAT, including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) family, PPARgamma coactivator 1 (PGC1)-alpha, and PRD1-BF-1-RIZ1 homologous domain protein containing protein (PRDM) -16. The sympathetic nervous system centrally regulates thermogenesis through norepinephrine, which acts on the adrenergic receptors of BAT. This bound leads to the initialization of the many pathways that may activate thermogenesis in acute and/or chronic ways. In summary, this mini-review aims to demonstrate the latest advances in the knowledge of BAT.
['Bargut|Thereza Cristina Lonzetti|TC|', 'Aguila|Marcia Barbosa|MB|', 'Mandarim-de-Lacerda|Carlos Alberto|CA|']
D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate D017667:Adipocytes D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown D000818:Animals D002454:Cell Differentiation D049109:Cell Proliferation D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins D006801:Humans D051379:Mice D009638:Norepinephrine D000071248:Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha D022722:Thermogenesis D014157:Transcription Factors D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
Brown adipose tissue Brown adipocytes Non-shivering thermogenesis Obesity Uncoupling protein 1