Cited by 615Adipose Tissue and MetabolismMitochondrial Function and PathologyMetabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer

UCP1: The only protein able to mediate adaptive non-shivering thermogenesis and metabolic inefficiency

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Nedergaard, Jan, Golozoubova, Valeria, Matthias, Anita, Asadi, Abolfazl, Jacobsson, Anders, Cannon, Barbara·2001·Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics

Abstract

The uniqueness of UCP1 (as compared to UCP2/UCP3) is evident from expression analysis and ablation studies. UCP1 expression is positively correlated with metabolic inefficiency, being increased by cold acclimation (in adults or perinatally) and overfeeding, and reduced in fasting and genetic obesity. Such a simple relationship is not observable for UCP2/UCP3. Studies with UCP1-ablated animals substantiate the unique role of UCP1: the phenomenon of adaptive adrenergic non-shivering thermogenesis in the intact animal is fully dependent on the presence of UCP1, and so is any kind of cold acclimation-recruited non-shivering thermogenesis; thus UCP2/UCP3 (or any other proteins or metabolic processes) cannot substitute for UCP1 physiologically, irrespective of their demonstrated ability to show uncoupling in reconstituted systems or when ectopically expressed. Norepinephrine-induced thermogenesis in brown-fat cells is absolutely dependent on UCP1, as is the uncoupled state and the recoupling by purine nucleotides in isolated brown-fat mitochondria. Although very high UCP2/UCP3 mRNA levels are observed in brown adipose tissue of UCP1-ablated mice, there is no indication that the isolated brown-fat mitochondria are uncoupled; thus, high expression of UCP2/UCP3 does not necessarily confer to the mitochondria of a tissue a propensity for being innately uncoupled. Whereas the thermogenic effect of fatty acids in brown-fat cells is fully UCP1-dependent, this is not the case in brown-fat mitochondria; this adds complexity to the issues concerning the mechanisms of UCP1 function and the pathway from beta(3)-adrenoceptor stimulation to UCP1 activation and thermogenesis. In addition to amino acid sequences conserved in all UCPs as part of the tripartite structure, all UCPs contain certain residues associated with nucleotide binding. However, conserved amongst all UCP1s so far sequenced, and without parallel in all UCP2/UCP3, are two sequences: 144SHLHGIKP and the C-terminal sequence RQTVDC(A/T)T; these sequences may therefore be essential for the unique thermogenic function of UCP1. The level of UCP1 in the organism is basically regulated at the transcriptional level (physiologically probably mainly through the beta(3)-adrenoceptor/CREB pathway), with influences from UCP1 mRNA stability and from the delay caused by translation. It is concluded that UCP1 is unique amongst the uncoupling proteins and is the only protein able to mediate adaptive non-shivering thermogenesis and the ensuing metabolic inefficiency.

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Research works printed but not linked: 12

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Authors
Nedergaard, J., Golozoubova, V., Matthias, A., Asadi, A., Jacobsson, A., & Cannon, B.
Affiliations
Stockholm University (SE)
Corresponding author
Nedergaard, Jan
Venue
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2001-03
Volume
1504
Issue
1
Pages
82-106
ISSN
0005-2728 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2075282827
Cited by
615
References
137
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 28 · 2024: 33 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 50 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 36 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 17
FWCI
3.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
Keywords
uncoupling proteins, non-shivering thermogenesis, brown adipose tissue, cold acclimation, UCP2, UCP3, beta3-adrenergic receptor, CREB, norepinephrine, mitochondrial uncoupling, purine nucleotides, obesity, overfeeding, fasting
MeSH terms
Acclimatization, Uncoupling Protein 1, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Adipose Tissue, Brown, Carrier Proteins, Cells, Cultured, Gene Expression Regulation, Humans, Ion Channels, Membrane Potentials, Membrane Proteins, Mitochondria, Mitochondria, Liver, Models, Chemical, Norepinephrine, Obesity, Oxygen Consumption, RNA, Messenger, Uncoupling Agents, Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein, Adipocytes, Thermogenesis, Mitochondrial Proteins

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