Chapter Category: Cell Metabolism
From the book Adipose Tissue
Brown Adipose Tissue: Thermogenic Function and Its Physiological
Susanne Klaus
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specialized form of adipose tissue whose function is opposite to classical white fat function. As a thermogenic tissue it is a site of energy dissipation in contrast to the energy storing white fat. Whereas white, i.e., storage fat is known throughout the whole animal kingdom, BAT seems to be a unique mammalian invention. Heat production in brown fat is very important for the survival of small mammals in a cold environment and also for arousal from hibernation (Fig. 1). A protein unique to brown adipocytes, the uncoupling protein (UCP1), is central to uncoupling of brown fat mitochondrial respiratory chain, the mechanism of heat production in this tissue. Research interest in brown fat has risen greatly upon the discovery that in certain animal models increased BAT thermogenesis can be a means of dissipating excess energy and thus preventing obesity.
BAT was first recognized in the 1960s to be a thermogenic tissue and in the following twenty years research interest was mainly focused on the biochemistry of heat production in brown fat. Advances in molecular biology techniques and development of brown adipocyte cell culture systems in the last decade have allowed closer investigation of the molecular mechanisms of gene regulation and differentiation of brown adipocytes. Advancements in transgenic animal technology and the increasing availability of transgenic animal models also greatly contributed to our understanding of brown fat function in various physiological situations. Studies on the UCP1 gene have ultimately led to the discovery of other uncoupling proteins similar to UCP1 expressed in various tissues whose functions are not yet clear but which might play important roles in energy balance.
- ISBN: 1-58706-040-X
- Publication date: September 1, 2001
- Series: Intelligence Unit
Adipose Tissue
Edited by: Susanne Klaus
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