Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26137441›Full record

ArticleMolecular metabolism2015

Genetic disruption of uncoupling protein 1 in mice renders brown adipose tissue a significant source of FGF21 secretion.

Susanne Keipert, Maria Kutschke, Daniel Lamp, Laura Brachthäuser, Frauke Neff, Carola W Meyer, Rebecca Oelkrug, Alexei Kharitonenkov, Martin Jastroch

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular metabolism, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 50 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
50citing papers in PubMed
5.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

50 citing papers in PubMed, 83 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Deciphering Uncoupling Proteins in Cellular Homeostasis and Metabolic Health.International journal of biological sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Exploring endocrine FGFs - structures, functions and biomedical applications.International journal of biochemistry and molecular biology · 2024
    Review
  11. Uncoupling protein 1-driven Cre (bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2023
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Review
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Metabolic Messengers: FGF21.Nature metabolism · 2021
    Review
  20. Hepatocardiac or Cardiohepatic Interaction: From Traditional Chinese Medicine to Western Medicine.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Susanne KeipertHelmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Maria KutschkeHelmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Daniel LampHelmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Laura BrachthäuserInstitute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Frauke NeffInstitute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
Carola W MeyerHelmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany ; Department of Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
Rebecca OelkrugInstitute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Biomedical Center, University of Bonn, 53105 Bonn, Germany ; Department of Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
Alexei KharitonenkovDepartment of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, 47405 IN, USA.
Martin JastrochHelmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany ; Department of Animal Physiology, Philipps-Universität, 35043 Marburg, Germany.
Helmholtz Zentrum München · DEPhilipps University of Marburg · DEIndiana University Bloomington · USUniversity of Bonn · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveCirculating fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an important auto- and endocrine player with beneficial metabolic effects on obesity and diabetes. In humans, thermogenic brown adipose tissue (BAT) was recently suggested as a source of FGF21 secretion during cold exposure. Here, we aim to clarify the role of UCP1 and ambient temperature in the regulation of FGF21 in mice.

methodsWildtype (WT) and UCP1-knockout (UCP1 KO) mice, the latter being devoid of BAT-derived non-shivering thermogenesis, were exposed to different housing temperatures. Plasma metabolites and FGF21 levels were determined, gene expression was analyzed by qPCR, and tissue histology was performed with adipose tissue.

resultsAt thermoneutrality, FGF21 gene expression and serum levels were not different between WT and UCP1 KO mice. Cold exposure led to highly increased FGF21 serum levels in UCP1 KO mice, which were reflected in increased FGF21 gene expression in adipose tissues but not in liver and skeletal muscle. Ex vivo secretion assays revealed FGF21 release only from BAT, progressively increasing with decreasing ambient temperatures. In association with increased FGF21 serum levels in the UCP1 KO mouse, typical FGF21-related serum metabolites and inguinal white adipose tissue morphology and thermogenic gene expression were altered.

conclusionsHere we show that the genetic ablation of UCP1 increases FGF21 gene expression in adipose tissue. The removal of adaptive nonshivering thermogenesis renders BAT a significant source of endogenous FGF21 under thermal stress. Thus, the thermogenic competence of BAT is not a requirement for FGF21 secretion. Notably, high endogenous FGF21 levels in UCP1-deficient models and subjects may confound pharmacological FGF21 treatments.

Indexed as

BATFGF21iWATObesityThermogenesisUCP1

Identifiers

PMID26137441
PMCPMC4481421
OpenAlexW2133573974

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.