Effects of genetic background on thermoregulation and fatty acid-induced uncoupling of mitochondria in UCP1-deficient mice.
An interaction between free fatty acids and UCP1 (uncoupling protein-1) leading to de-energization of mitochondria was assumed to be a key event for triggering heat production in brown fat. Recently, Matthias et al., finding indistinguishable de-energization of isolated brown fat mitochondria by fatty acids in UCP1-deficient mice and control mice, challenged this assumption (Matthias, A., Jacobsson, A., Cannon, B., and Nedergaard, J. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 28150-28160). Since their results were obtained using UCP1-deficient and control mice on an undefined genetic background, we wanted to determine unambiguously the phenotype of UCP1 deficiency with the targeted Ucp1 allele on congenic C57BL/6J and 129/SvImJ backgrounds. UCP1-deficient congenic mice have a very pronounced cold-sensitive phenotype; however, deficient mice on the F1 hybrid background were resistant to cold. We propose that heterosis provides a mechanism to compensate for UCP1 deficiency. Contrary to the results of Matthias et al., we found a significant loss of fatty acid-induced de-energization, as reflected by membrane potential and oxygen consumption, in brown fat mitochondria from UCP1-deficient mice. Unlike cold sensitivity, fatty acid-induced uncoupling of mitochondria was independent of the genetic background of UCP1-deficient mice. We propose that intracellular free fatty acids directly regulate uncoupling activity of UCP1 in a manner consistent with models described in the literature.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808, USA.
W E
WE
Hofmann
X
X
Liu
C M
CM
Bearden
M E
ME
Harper
L P
LP
Kozak
D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000502:physiology*; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D010085:Oxidative Phosphorylation; D010641:Phenotype; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D007473:Ion Channels; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C000604372:Ucp1 protein, mouse; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1