title: The lipid sensor GPR120 promotes brown fat activation and FGF21 release from adipocytes.
abstract: The thermogenic activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) and browning of white adipose tissue are important components of energy expenditure. Here we show that GPR120, a receptor for polyunsaturated fatty acids, promotes brown fat activation. Using RNA-seq to analyse mouse BAT transcriptome, we find that the gene encoding GPR120 is induced by thermogenic activation. We further show that GPR120 activation induces BAT activity and promotes the browning of white fat in mice, whereas GRP120-null mice show impaired cold-induced browning. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids induce brown and beige adipocyte differentiation and thermogenic activation, and these effects require GPR120. GPR120 activation induces the release of fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) by brown and beige adipocytes, and increases blood FGF21 levels. The effects of GPR120 activation on BAT activation and browning are impaired in FGF21-null mice and cells. Thus, the lipid sensor GPR120 activates brown fat via a mechanism that involves induction of FGF21.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Quesada-López
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cereijo
authors.affiliation: ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-Valery
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Turatsinze
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Planavila
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cairó
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Aleix
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gavaldà-Navarro
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peyrou
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moure
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iglesias
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7968-4190
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giralt
authors.affiliation: ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Medical Faculty, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 50, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Decio L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Eizirik
authors.affiliation: Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Institut de Biomedicina, Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Avda Diagonal 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villarroya
mesh_terms: D017667:Adipocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002001:Adipose Tissue, Brown / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003080:Cold Temperature; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008744:Methylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011422:Propionates / Q000494:pharmacology; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C498007:FFAR4 protein, mouse; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; C515630:GW9508; D008744:Methylamines; D011422:Propionates; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases