A novel regulatory pathway of brown fat thermogenesis. Retinoic acid is a transcriptional activator of the mitochondrial uncoupling protein gene.
The mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP) is responsible for the thermogenic function of brown fat, and it is a molecular marker of the brown adipocyte cell type. Retinoic acid (RA) increased UCP mRNA levels severalfold in brown adipocytes differentiated in culture. This induction was independent of adrenergic pathways or protein synthesis. RA stimulated ucp gene expression regardless of the stage of brown adipocyte differentiation. In transient transfection experiments RA induced the expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase vectors driven by 4.5 kilobases of the 5'-noncoding region of the rat ucp gene, and co-transfection of expression vectors for RA receptors enhanced the action of RA. Retinoic acid receptor alpha was more effective than retinoid X receptor in promoting RA action, whereas a mixture of the two was the most effective. The RA-responsive region in the ucp gene was located at -2469/-2318 and contains three motifs (between -2357 and -2330) of the consensus half-sites characteristic of retinoic acid response elements. This 27-base pair sequence specifically binds purified retinoic acid receptor alpha as well as related proteins from brown fat nuclei. In conclusion, a novel potential regulatory pathway of brown fat development and thermogenic function has been recognized by identifying RA as a transcriptional activator of the ucp gene.
Alvarez
R
R
Departament de Bioquímica i Fisiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
de Andrés
J
J
Yubero
P
P
Viñas
O
O
Mampel
T
T
Iglesias
R
R
Giralt
M
M
Villarroya
F
F
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D007473:Ion Channels; D007700:Kinetics; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D015533:Transcriptional Activation; D014162:Transfection; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C000607072:Rara protein, mouse; C000607073:Rara protein, rat; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000072482:Retinoic Acid Receptor alpha; D047488:Retinoid X Receptors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D014212:Tretinoin; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV