title: Triiodothyronine induces the transcription of the uncoupling protein gene and stabilizes its mRNA in fetal rat brown adipocyte primary cultures.
abstract: Confluent fetal rat brown adipocytes in primary culture showed an almost undetectable level of uncoupling protein (UCP) mRNA and a low mitochondrial content of functional UCP. Treatment of confluent cells with 10 nM triiodothyronine in a serum-free medium, in the absence of noradrenergic stimulation, increased the amount of UCP mRNA in a time-dependent manner. This effect was due to an increased UCP gene transcription rate and UCP mRNA stabilization, resulting in a higher content of immunoreactive mitochondrial UCP and functional UCP (detected by its ability to bind GDP). Thus, triiodothyronine might play a significant physiological role in the UCP expression throughout fetal development, when brown adipose tissue starts to differentiate and UCP is primarily expressed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular II, Universidad Completense Facultad de Farmacia, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roncero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porras
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benito
mesh_terms: D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006153:Guanosine Diphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D006153:Guanosine Diphosphate; D003513:Cycloheximide; D009638:Norepinephrine