Cold-induction of afadin in brown fat supports its thermogenic capacity.

ABSTRACT: The profound energy-expending nature of brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis makes it an attractive target tissue to combat obesity-associated metabolic disorders. While cold exposure is the strongest inducer of BAT activity, the temporal mechanisms tuning BAT adaptation during this activation process are incompletely understood. Here we show that the scaffold protein Afadin is dynamically regulated by cold in BAT, and participates in cold acclimation. Cold exposure acutely increases Afadin protein levels and its phosphorylation in BAT. Knockdown of Afadin in brown pre-adipocytes does not alter adipogenesis but restricts β₃-adrenegic induction of thermogenic genes expression and HSL phosphorylation in mature brown adipocytes. Consistent with a defect in thermogenesis, an imp

SUBMITTER: Lundh M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8105362 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature