Transgenic expression of BEN, a member of TFII-I family, in various murine adipose tissues

The white adipose organ is composed of both subcutaneous and several intra-abdominal depots. Excess abdominal adiposity is a major risk factor for metabolic disease in rodents and humans, while expansion of subcutaneous fat does not carry the same risks. Brown adipose produces heat as a defense against hypothermia and obesity, and the appearance of brown-like adipocytes within white adipose tissue depots is associated with improved metabolic phenotypes. Thus, understanding the differences in cell biology and function of these different adipose cell types and depots may be critical to the development of new therapies for metabolic disease. Here, we found that BEN, a determination factor of brown fat function. BEN transgenic mice displayed increased energy expenditure, limited weight gain, and improved glucose tolerance in response to a high-fat diet. These results demonstrate that BEN is a cell-autonomous determinant of a brown fat function and thermogenesis.白色脂肪器官由皮下脂肪垫与多处腹腔内脂肪垫构成。腹腔脂肪过量堆积是啮齿类动物与人类罹患代谢性疾病的主要风险因素，而皮下脂肪的扩张并不会带来同等风险。棕色脂肪组织可通过产热抵御低体温与肥胖；在白色脂肪组织垫中出现的类棕色脂肪细胞，与代谢表型的改善密切相关。因此，解析不同脂肪细胞类型及脂肪垫在细胞生物学与功能上的差异，或对代谢性疾病新型治疗手段的开发具有关键意义。本研究发现，BEN是棕色脂肪功能的决定性调控因子，其转基因小鼠在高脂饮食喂养条件下，展现出能量消耗增加、体重增长受限以及葡萄糖耐量改善的表型。上述结果证实，BEN是调控棕色脂肪功能与产热过程的细胞自主性决定因子。