Differentiation of brown adipose tissue and biogenesis of thermogenic mitochondria in situ and in cell culture.

Differentiation and biogenesis of mitochondria in brown adipose tissue (BAT) was studied in situ and in cell culture by Western blotting, enzyme activity measurements, [35S]methionine incorporation and immunofluorescence microscopy. In different rodent species the perinatal development of BAT thermogenic function resulted from the formation of thermogenic mitochondria which replaced the preexisting nonthermogenic mitochondria. Their biogenesis was characterized by the sudden appearance and rapid increase of the uncoupling protein (UCP), increase of cytochrome oxidase (COX) and decrease of H(+)-ATPase. In primary cell culture, differentiation of precursor cells from mouse BAT to typical multilocular adipocytes was accompanied by increasing content of COX and H(+)-ATPase. A selective synthesis of UCP was induced by activation of beta-adrenergic receptors or by elevated levels of cellular cAMP. UCP was quantitatively incorporated into mitochondria and within 24 h after stimulation reached near physiological concentration. Both in situ and in cell culture, the conditions enabling the expression of UCP gene were accompanied by activation of intracellular thyroxine 5'-deiodinase.

Postnatal appearance of uncoupling protein and formation of thermogenic mitochondria in hamster brown adipose tissue.

Brown adipose tissue of developing hamster was characterized by western blotting, enzyme activity measurements and immunoelectron microscopy. During the first postnatal week the tissue contained significant amounts of differentiating mitochondria and comparable quantities of active cytochrome oxidase and ATP synthase. The uncoupling protein appeared on the 7/8th day and its specific content increased 80-times between day 8 and day 17. In parallel, the specific content and activity of cytochrome oxidase increased 3-times but ATP synthase decreased 2-times. The total content of uncoupling protein and of cytochrome oxidase in interscapular brown adipose tissue increased 360- and 11-times, respectively. Analysis of isolated mitochondria showed that the observed differences result mainly from changes of the enzymic equipment of the mitochondrial membrane. During the same interval, propylthiouracil-insensitive "type II' thyroxine 5'-deiodinase activity in brown adipose tissue increased 10-times. It was concluded that the thermogenic function of the hamster brown adipose tissue develops after the first postnatal week due to highly differentiated synthesis of mitochondrial proteins leading to replacement of preexisting, uncoupling protein-lacking nonthermogenic mitochondria by thermogenic ones, similarly as shown in brown adipose tissue of the embryonic mouse and rat (Houstek, J., et al. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 935, 19-25).

Synthesis of mitochondrial uncoupling protein in brown adipocytes differentiated in cell culture.

In order to characterize the biogenesis of unique thermogenic mitochondria of brown adipose tissue, differentiation of precursor cells isolated from mouse brown adipose tissue was studied in cell culture. Synthesis of mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP), F1-ATPase, and cytochrome oxidase was examined by L-[35S]methionine labeling and immunoblotting. For the first time, synthesis of physiological amounts of the UCP, a key and tissue-specific component of thermogenic mitochondria, was observed in cultures at about confluence (day 6), indicating that a complete differentiation of brown adipocytes was achieved in vitro. In postconfluent cells (day 8) the content of UCP decreased rapidly, in contrast to some other mitochondrial proteins (beta subunit of F1-ATPase, cytochrome oxidase). In these cells, it was possible, by using norepinephrine, to induce specifically the synthesis of the UCP but not of F1-ATPase or cytochrome oxidase. The maximal response was observed at 0.1 microM norepinephrine and the synthesis of UCP remained activated for at least 24 h. Detailed analysis revealed a major role of the beta-adrenergic receptors and elevated intracellular concentration of cAMP in stimulation of UCP synthesis. A quantitative recovery of the newly synthesized UCP in the mitochondrial fraction indicated completed biogenesis of functionally competent thermogenic mitochondria.