Uncoupling protein-3: a muscle-specific gene upregulated by leptin in ob/ob mice.
We identified and partially characterized another member of the uncoupling protein termed UCP3. Human and mouse UCP3 protein sequences are 86% identical to each other, and 73% and 59% identical to UCP2 and UCP1, respectively. Expression of human UCP3 in yeast resulted in a drastic decrease of mitochondria membrane potential. Northern analysis showed that UCP3 was highly expressed in skeletal muscle in human, rat, and mouse. Mapping of UCP3 placed it to the same chromosomal region of UCP2 in both human and mouse, a region that is linked to obesity and hyperinsulinemia. Furthermore, adenovirus-mediated leptin expression in obese ob/ob mice led to increased expression of UCP3 in skeletal muscle. The data indicate that UCP3 encodes a muscle-specific uncoupling protein that may play an important role in the regulation of energy expenditure and development of obesity.
Liu
Q
Q
Department of Human Genetics, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA 19486, USA. Jim_liu@merck.com
Bai
C
C
Chen
F
F
Wang
R
R
MacDonald
T
T
Gu
M
M
Zhang
Q
Q
Morsy
M A
MA
Caskey
C T
CT
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002880:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000502:physiology; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D008820:Mice, Obese; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014162:Transfection; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3; D015854:Up-Regulation
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007473:Ion Channels; D020738:Leptin; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C000604392:UCP3 protein, human; C000604393:Ucp3 protein, mouse; C000604394:Ucp3 protein, rat; D000071247:Uncoupling Protein 3