Beige adipocytes are a distinct type of thermogenic fat cell in mouse and human.
Brown fat generates heat via the mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP1, defending against hypothermia and obesity. Recent data suggest that there are two distinct types of brown fat: classical brown fat derived from a myf-5 cellular lineage and UCP1-positive cells that emerge in white fat from a non-myf-5 lineage. Here, we report the isolation of "beige" cells from murine white fat depots. Beige cells resemble white fat cells in having extremely low basal expression of UCP1, but, like classical brown fat, they respond to cyclic AMP stimulation with high UCP1 expression and respiration rates. Beige cells have a gene expression pattern distinct from either white or brown fat and are preferentially sensitive to the polypeptide hormone irisin. Finally, we provide evidence that previously identified brown fat deposits in adult humans are composed of beige adipocytes. These data provide a foundation for studying this mammalian cell type with therapeutic potential. PAPERCLIP:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Jun
J
Wu
Pontus
P
Boström
Lauren M
LM
Sparks
Li
L
Ye
Jang Hyun
JH
Choi
An-Hoa
AH
Giang
Melin
M
Khandekar
Kirsi A
KA
Virtanen
Pirjo
P
Nuutila
Gert
G
Schaart
Kexin
K
Huang
Hua
H
Tu
Wouter D
WD
van Marken Lichtenbelt
Joris
J
Hoeks
Sven
S
Enerbäck
Patrick
P
Schrauwen
Bruce M
BM
Spiegelman
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism; D052438:Adipocytes, White / Q000378:metabolism; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1
D007473:Ion Channels; D024101:Mitochondrial Proteins; C000604371:UCP1 protein, human; C000604372:Ucp1 protein, mouse; D000071256:Uncoupling Protein 1