ABSTRACT
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a unique thermogenic tissue in mammals that rapidly produces heat via nonshivering thermogenesis. Small mammalian hibernators have evolved the greatest capacity for BAT because they use it to rewarm from hypothermic torpor numerous times throughout the hibernation season. Although hibernator BAT physiology has been investigated for decades, recent efforts have been directed toward understanding the molecular underpinnings of BAT regulation and function using a variety of methods, from mitochondrial functional assays to ‘omics’ approaches. As a result, the inner-workings of hibernator BAT are now being illuminated. In this Review, we discuss recent research progress that has identified players and pathways involved in brown adipocyte differentiation and maturation, as well as those involved in metabolic regulation. The unique phenotype of hibernation, and its reliance on BAT to generate heat to arouse mammals from torpor, has uncovered new molecular mechanisms and potential strategies for biomedical applications.
FOOTNOTES
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing or financial interests.
Funding
This work was partially funded by National Institutes of Health grant 1RC2HL101625-01 to M.T.A. M.A.B. is supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE 1106400). Deposited in PMC for release after 12 months.
- © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
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