Regulation of glycolysis in brown adipocytes by HIF-1α.

Brown adipose tissue takes up large amounts of glucose during cold exposure in mice and humans. Here we report an induction of glucose transporter 1 expression and increased expression of several glycolytic enzymes in brown adipose tissue from cold-exposed mice. Accordingly, these genes were also induced after ß-adrenergic activation of cultured brown adipocytes, concomitant with accumulation of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein levels. HIF-1α accumulation was dependent on uncoupling protein 1 and generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. Expression of key glycolytic enzymes was reduced after knockdown of HIF-1α in mature brown adipocytes. Glucose consumption, lactate export and glycolytic capacity were reduced in brown adipocytes depleted of Hif-1α. Finally, we observed a decreased ß-adrenergically induced oxygen consumption in Hif-1α knockdown adipocytes cultured in medium with glucose as the only exogenously added fuel. These data suggest that HIF-1α-dependent regulation of glycolysis is necessary for maximum glucose metabolism in brown adipocytes.

Role of IL-6 in exercise training- and cold-induced UCP1 expression in subcutaneous white adipose tissue.

Expression of brown adipose tissue (BAT) associated proteins like uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in inguinal WAT (iWAT) has been suggested to alter iWAT metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in exercise training and cold exposure-induced iWAT UCP1 expression. The effect of daily intraperitoneal injections of IL-6 (3 ng/g) in C57BL/6 mice for 7 days on iWAT UCP1 expression was examined. In addition, the expression of UCP1 in iWAT was determined in response to 3 days of cold exposure (4°C) and 5 weeks of exercise training in wild type (WT) and whole body IL-6 knockout (KO) mice. Repeated injections of IL-6 in C57BL/6 mice increased UCP1 mRNA but not UCP1 protein content in iWAT. Cold exposure increased iWAT UCP1 mRNA content similarly in IL-6 KO and WT mice, while exercise training increased iWAT UCP1 mRNA in WT mice but not in IL-6 KO mice. Additionally, a cold exposure-induced increase in iWAT UCP1 protein content was blunted in IL-6 KO mice, while UCP1 protein content in iWAT was lower in both untrained and exercise trained IL-6 KO mice than in WT mice. In conclusion, repeated daily increases in plasma IL-6 can increase iWAT UCP1 mRNA content and IL-6 is required for an exercise training-induced increase in iWAT UCP1 mRNA content. In addition IL-6 is required for a full induction of UCP1 protein expression in response to cold exposure and influences the UCP1 protein content iWAT of both untrained and exercise trained animals.

Retinoic acid has different effects on UCP1 expression in mouse and human adipocytes.

BACKGROUND: Increased adipose thermogenesis is being considered as a strategy aimed at preventing or reversing obesity. Thus, regulation of the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene in human adipocytes is of significant interest. Retinoic acid (RA), the carboxylic acid form of vitamin A, displays agonist activity toward several nuclear hormone receptors, including RA receptors (RARs) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ). Moreover, RA is a potent positive regulator of UCP1 expression in mouse adipocytes. RESULTS: The effects of all-trans RA (ATRA) on UCP1 gene expression in models of mouse and human adipocyte differentiation were investigated. ATRA induced UCP1 expression in all mouse white and brown adipocytes, but inhibited or had no effect on UCP1 expression in human adipocyte cell lines and primary human white adipocytes. Experiments with various RAR agonists and a RAR antagonist in mouse cells demonstrated that the stimulatory effect of ATRA on UCP1 gene expression was indeed mediated by RARs. Consistently, a PPARδ agonist was without effect. Moreover, the ATRA-mediated induction of UCP1 expression in mouse adipocytes was independent of PPARγ coactivator-1α. CONCLUSIONS: UCP1 expression is differently affected by ATRA in mouse and human adipocytes. ATRA induces UCP1 expression in mouse adipocytes through activation of RARs, whereas expression of UCP1 in human adipocytes is not increased by exposure to ATRA.

ERRγ enhances UCP1 expression and fatty acid oxidation in brown adipocytes.

OBJECTIVE: Estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) are important regulators of energy metabolism. Here we investigated the hypothesis that ERRγ impacts on differentiation and function of brown adipocytes. DESIGN AND METHODS: We characterize the expression of ERRγ in adipose tissues and cell models and investigate the effects of modulating ERRγ activity on UCP1 gene expression and metabolic features of brown and white adipocytes. RESULTS: ERRγ was preferentially expressed in brown compared to white fat depots, and ERRγ was induced during cold-induced browning of subcutaneous white adipose tissue and brown adipogenesis. Overexpression of ERRγ positively regulated uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression levels during brown adipogenesis. This ERRγ-induced augmentation of UCP1 expression was independent of the presence of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 (PGC-1α) but was associated with increased rates of fatty acid oxidation in adrenergically stimulated cells. ERRγ did not influence mitochondrial biogenesis, and its reduced expression in white adipocytes could not explain their low expression level of UCP1. CONCLUSIONS: Through its augmenting effect on expression of UCP1, ERRγ may physiologically be involved in increasing the potential for energy expenditure in brown adipocytes, a function that is becoming of therapeutic interest.

Ras signalling regulates differentiation and UCP1 expression in models of brown adipogenesis.

BACKGROUND: The Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway has been recognised as an important signalling module in adipogenesis and adipocyte function, but whether it promotes or inhibits the formation of fat cells has not been reconciled. METHODS: Here we investigate the significance of Ras signalling intensity on two unrelated models of mouse brown adipocyte differentiation. RESULTS: A constitutively active H-Ras mutant (Ras V12) caused a complete block of adipose conversion, as manifested by a lack of both lipid accumulation and induction of adipocyte gene expression. The Ras V12-mediated impediment of differentiation was inefficiently rescued by forced expression of the adipogenic transcription factors C/EBPalpha and PPARgamma. However, the defective differentiation was alleviated by MEK inhibitors, suggesting that the obstruction of differentiation was dependent on activation of ERK. A dominant interfering H-Ras mutant (Ras N17) did not inhibit differentiation, but led to increased expression of genes important for energy dissipation in brown fat cells, including UCP1. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: These data suggest that the intensity of Ras signalling is important for differentiation and UCP1 expression in models of brown adipogenesis.

Dynamic regulation of genes involved in mitochondrial DNA replication and transcription during mouse brown fat cell differentiation and recruitment.

BACKGROUND: Brown adipocytes are specialised in dissipating energy through adaptive thermogenesis, whereas white adipocytes are specialised in energy storage. These essentially opposite functions are possible for two reasons relating to mitochondria, namely expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and a remarkably higher mitochondrial abundance in brown adipocytes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we report a comprehensive characterisation of gene expression linked to mitochondrial DNA replication, transcription and function during white and brown fat cell differentiation in vitro as well as in white and brown fat, brown adipose tissue fractions and in selected adipose tissues during cold exposure. We find a massive induction of the majority of such genes during brown adipocyte differentiation and recruitment, e.g. of the mitochondrial transcription factors A (Tfam) and B2 (Tfb2m), whereas only a subset of the same genes were induced during white adipose conversion. In addition, PR domain containing 16 (PRDM16) was found to be expressed at substantially higher levels in brown compared to white pre-adipocytes and adipocytes. We demonstrate that forced expression of Tfam but not Tfb2m in brown adipocyte precursor cells promotes mitochondrial DNA replication, and that silencing of PRDM16 expression during brown fat cell differentiation blunts mitochondrial biogenesis and expression of brown fat cell markers. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Using both in vitro and in vivo model systems of white and brown fat cell differentiation, we report a detailed characterisation of gene expression linked to mitochondrial biogenesis and function. We find significant differences in differentiating white and brown adipocytes, which might explain the notable increase in mitochondrial content observed during brown adipose conversion. In addition, our data support a key role of PRDM16 in triggering brown adipocyte differentiation, including mitochondrial biogenesis and expression of UCP1.