Nanduri Ravikanth
Laboratory of Metabolism, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Epigenomes. 2021 Jan 12;5(1):3. doi: 10.3390/epigenomes5010003.
Adipocytes play an essential role in maintaining energy homeostasis in mammals. The primary function of white adipose tissue (WAT) is to store energy; for brown adipose tissue (BAT), primary function is to release fats in the form of heat. Dysfunctional or excess WAT can induce metabolic disorders such as dyslipidemia, obesity, and diabetes. Preadipocytes or adipocytes from WAT possess sufficient plasticity as they can transdifferentiate into brown-like beige adipocytes. Studies in both humans and rodents showed that brown and beige adipocytes could improve metabolic health and protect from metabolic disorders. Brown fat requires activation via exposure to cold or β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) agonists to protect from hypothermia. Considering the fact that the usage of β-AR agonists is still in question with their associated side effects, selective induction of WAT browning is therapeutically important instead of activating of BAT. Hence, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing white adipocyte browning is vital. At the same time, it is also essential to understand the factors that define white adipocyte identity and inhibit white adipocyte browning. This literature review is a comprehensive and focused update on the epigenetic regulators crucial for differentiation and browning of white adipocytes.
脂肪细胞在维持哺乳动物能量稳态中发挥着至关重要的作用。白色脂肪组织（WAT）的主要功能是储存能量；而棕色脂肪组织（BAT）的主要功能是以热量的形式释放脂肪。功能失调或过量的WAT会诱发代谢紊乱，如血脂异常、肥胖症和糖尿病。来自WAT的前脂肪细胞或脂肪细胞具有足够的可塑性，因为它们可以转分化为棕色样米色脂肪细胞。在人类和啮齿动物中的研究表明，棕色和米色脂肪细胞可以改善代谢健康并预防代谢紊乱。棕色脂肪需要通过暴露于寒冷环境或β-肾上腺素能受体（β-AR）激动剂来激活，以防止体温过低。鉴于β-AR激动剂的使用因其相关副作用仍存在争议，选择性诱导WAT褐变在治疗上比激活BAT更为重要。因此，更好地理解控制白色脂肪细胞褐变的分子机制至关重要。同时，了解定义白色脂肪细胞特性并抑制白色脂肪细胞褐变的因素也必不可少。这篇文献综述是关于对白色脂肪细胞分化和褐变至关重要的表观遗传调节因子的全面且重点突出的更新。
