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CLCF1 signaling restrains thermogenesis and disrupts metabolic homeostasis by inhibiting mitochondrial biogenesis in brown adipocytes

ABSTRACT: Great progress has been made in identifying positive regulators that activate adipocyte thermogenesis, but negative regulatory signaling of thermogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we found that cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1 (CLCF1) signaling led to loss of brown fat identity, which impaired thermogenic capacity. CLCF1 levels decreased during thermogenic stimulation but were considerably increased in obesity. Adipocyte-specific CLCF1 transgenic (CLCF1-ATG) mice showed impaired energy expenditure and severe cold intolerance. Elevated CLCF1 triggered whitening of brown adipose tissue by suppressing mitochondrial biogenesis. Mechanistically, CLCF1 bound and activated ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor (CNTFR) and augmented signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling. STAT3 transcriptionally inhibited both peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator (PGC) 1α and 1β, which thereafter restrained mitochondrial biogenesis in adipocytes. Inhibition of CNTFR or STAT3 could diminish the inhibitory effects of CLCF1 on mitochondrial biogenesis and thermogenesis. As a result, CLCF1-TG mice were predisposed to develop metabolic dysfunction even without external metabolic stress. Our findings revealed a previously unknown brake signal on nonshivering thermogenesis and suggested that targeting this pathway could be used to restore brown fat activity and systemic metabolic homeostasis in obesity.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE235476 | GEO | 2023/08/23

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Non-shivering thermogenesis in adipocytes is mediated by brown adipose tissue, purportedly through the sole action of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). The physiological relevance of UCP1-dependent thermogenesis has primarily been inferred from the attenuation of thermogenic output of mice genetically lacking Ucp1 from birth (germline Ucp1-/-). However, germline Ucp1-/- mice harbor secondary changes within brown adipose tissue beyond UCP1, such as reduced electron transport chain abundance. We show here that these secondary changes also encompass reduced expression of genes regulating fuel liberation, changes that would attenuate the capacity of any thermogenic pathway. Therefore, the quantitative contribution of UCP1-dependent and -independent thermogenesis is not fully understood. To mitigate the potentially confounding ancillary changes to brown adipose tissue of germline Ucp1-/- mice, we constructed mice with inducible adipocyte-selective disruption of Ucp1. We find that, while germline Ucp1-/- mice succumb to cold-induced hypothermia with complete penetrance, most mice with inducible deletion of Ucp1 maintain homeothermy in the cold. However, inducible adipocyte-selective co-deletion of Ucp1 and creatine kinase B (Ckb, an effector of UCP1-independent thermogenesis) exacerbates cold-intolerance, indicative of a negative genetic interaction and thus a parallel thermogenic function. We find no evidence for impairments in insulation or non-shivering thermogenesis in skeletal muscle that would drive this phenotype. Furthermore, following UCP1 deletion or UCP1/CKB co-deletion from mature adipocytes, moderate cold exposure triggers the regeneration of mature adipocytes that coordinately restore UCP1 and CKB to brown adipose tissue, providing further evidence of their parallel thermogenic relationship. Our findings suggest that thermogenic adipocytes utilize non-paralogous protein redundancy – through UCP1 and CKB – to promote cold-induced energy dissipation.

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CLCF1 signaling restrains thermogenesis and disrupts metabolic homeostasis by inhibiting mitochondrial biogenesis in brown adipocytes

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