AUTHOR=Nam Minwoo , Cooper Marcus P. 

TITLE=Role of Energy Metabolism in the Brown Fat Gene Program

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2015.00104

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2015.00104

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<p>In murine and human brown adipose tissue (BAT), mitochondria are powerful generators of heat that safely metabolize fat, a feature that has great promise in the fight against obesity and diabetes. Recent studies suggest that the actions of mitochondria extend beyond their conventional role as generators of heat. There is mounting evidence that impaired mitochondrial respiratory capacity is accompanied by attenuated expression of <italic>Ucp1</italic> and other BAT-selective genes, implying that mitochondria exert transcriptional control over the brown fat gene program. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of brown fat mitochondria, their potential role in transcriptional control of the brown fat gene program, and potential strategies to treat obesity in humans by leveraging thermogenesis in brown adipocytes.</p>