title: Yeast cultures with UCP1 uncoupling activity as a heating device.
abstract: Uncoupling proteins (UCPs) are mitochondrial transporters that facilitate controlled dissipation of the proton gradient and thus regulate energetic efficiency. The heat generating capacity of UCP from brown adipose tissue was investigated in yeasts expressing the protein recombinantly under conditions in which the temperature of the growth medium was measured directly. A Liquid Culture Calorimeter (LCC) was built consisting of a thermally isolated culture flask able to keep yeast cultures warm without resorting to additional heating. The exact internal temperature of the cultures was monitored for 24h through a thermocouple connected to a data logger. Under these conditions, significant temperature increases (1 degrees C) in the media were recorded when yeast strains expressing endogenously active UCP1 mutants were grown. This is the first direct evidence, in a eukaryotic microbial model, of a temperature rise associated with uncoupling activity, and could be seen as the first step toward developing a biological heating device.
authors.affiliation: Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado Postal 22085, 46071 València, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delás
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Notari
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Forés
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pechuan
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porcar
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Arnau
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montagud
authors.forename: Minerva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baguena
authors.forename: Juli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peretó
authors.forename: Pedro Fernández
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: de Córdoba
authors.forename: M Mar
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: González-Barroso
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rial
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moya
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urchueguía
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002151:Calorimetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013696:Temperature; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1