Lipid Droplets in Brown Adipose Tissue Are Dispensable for Cold-Induced Thermogenesis.

Cell Rep
Authors
Abstract

Brown adipocytes store metabolic energy as triglycerides (TGs) in lipid droplets (LDs). Fatty acids released from brown adipocyte LDs by lipolysis are thought to activate and fuel UCP1-mediated thermogenesis. Here, we test this hypothesis by preventing fatty acid storage in murine brown adipocytes through brown adipose tissue (BAT)-specific deletions of the TG synthesis enzymes DGAT1 and DGAT2 (BA-DGAT KO). Despite the absence of TGs in brown adipocytes, BAT is functional, and BA-DGAT-KO mice maintain euthermia during acute or chronic cold exposure. As apparent adaptations to the lack of TG, brown adipocytes of BA-DGAT-KO mice appear to use circulating glucose and fatty acids, and stored glycogen, to fuel thermogenesis. Moreover, BA-DGAT-KO mice are resistant to diet-induced glucose intolerance, likely because of increased glucose disposal by BAT. We conclude that TGs in BAT are dispensable for its contribution to cold-induced thermogenesis, at least when other fuel sources are available.

Year of Publication
2020
Journal
Cell Rep
Volume
33
Issue
5
Pages
108348
Date Published
2020 Nov 03
ISSN
2211-1247
DOI
10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108348
PubMed ID
33147469
PubMed Central ID
PMC7696656
Links
Grant list
R01 DK124913 / DK / NIDDK NIH HHS / United States