Open AccessA New Uncoupling Protein: A Potential Component of the Human Body Weight Regulation System
Author(s) -
George Wolf
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
nutrition reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.958
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1753-4887
pISSN - 0029-6643
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1997.tb06473.x
Subject(s) - uncoupling protein , brown adipose tissue , oxidative phosphorylation , thermogenin , adipose tissue , mitochondrion , phosphorylation , thermogenesis , biology , respiratory system , respiratory chain , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , medicine , biochemistry , anatomy
A mitochondrial protein that uncouples the respiratory chain from oxidative phosphorylation and generates heat is found in brown adipose tissue (BAT) of rodents. Although humans have little BAT, a second uncoupling protein has been discovered that is widely distributed in human tissues. It is induced in mice by a high‐fat diet and in mice with obese mutations, and may play a role in human body weight regulation.