Interrupting synoviolin play at the ER : a plausible action to elevate mitochondrial energetics and silence obesity

Obesity is a global concern, which has been linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, non‐alcoholic fatty liver, and cancer. In this issue of The EMBO Journal , Fujita et al ([Fujita H, 2015]) describe the role of an endoplasmic reticulum ( ER )‐resident E3 ubiquitin ligase, synoviolin, and its ability to control body weight and energy expenditure by targeting PGC ‐1β, a transcriptional modulator of mitochondrial oxidative metabolism.