Norepinephrine-induced synthesis of the uncoupling protein thermogenin (UCP) and its mitochondrial targeting in brown adipocytes differentiated in culture.

Synthesis of the brown adipocyte-specific mitochondrial uncoupling protein thermogenin (UCP) is demonstrated here in brown adipocytes differentiated in culture from precursor cells. By immunoblotting, no UCP was detectable in untreated multilocular adipocytes. The synthesis of UCP was stimulated by norepinephrine at physiological concentrations and was observable already after 2 h. It was evident from immunoelectron microscopy that the newly synthesised protein was targeted to the mitochondrial inner membrane, demonstrating the functional competence of these cultured cells.