ArticleMolecular metabolism2024
Uncoupling protein 1-driven Cre (Ucp1-Cre) is expressed in the epithelial cells of mammary glands and various non-adipose tissues.
Article in Molecular metabolism, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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16 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Perirenal fat β₃-adrenergic signaling alleviates renal fibrosis via regulating Bcat2/BCAA-TNFα pathway in diabetic kidney disease.Nature communications · 2026Article
- E4BP4 safeguards brown fat mitochondria from obesity-induced fragmentation via ceramide repression.EMBO reports · 2026Article
- A UCP1-IRES-Cre Knock-In Mouse Enables Specific Brown Adipocyte Targeting Without CNS Off-Target Expression.Research square · 2026Article
- Brown adipose tissue inactivation exacerbates alcohol-induced liver steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis.American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology · 2026Article
- Deciphering Uncoupling Proteins in Cellular Homeostasis and Metabolic Health.International journal of biological sciences · 2026Review
- Energy's long game: thermogenic adipocytes and the metabolic diseases of modern life.Academia biology · 2026Article
- Fructose uptake by brown adipose tissue is independent of carbohydrate response element-binding protein and does not cause elevatedActa biochimica et biophysica Sinica · 2025Article
- Perivascular adipose tissue dysfunction contributes to thoracic aortic aneurysm development.Cardiovascular diabetology · 2025Article
- No UCP1 in the kidney.Molecular metabolism · 2025Article
- The widely used Ucp1-Cre transgene elicits complex developmental and metabolic phenotypes.Nature communications · 2025Article
- Emerging debates and resolutions in brown adipose tissue research.Cell metabolism · 2025Review
- Chrna2-driven CRE Is Expressed in Beige Adipocytes.Endocrinology · 2024Article
- LETMD1 regulates mitochondrial protein synthesis and import to guard brown fat mitochondrial integrity and function.iScience · 2024Article
- An efficient AAV vector system of Rec2 serotype for intravenous injection to study metabolism in brown adipocytes in vivo.Molecular metabolism · 2024Article
- A safety guide for transgenic Cre drivers in metabolism.Nature metabolism · 2024Article
- TRPV1 Activation Antagonizes High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity at Thermoneutrality and Enhances UCP-1 Transcription via PRDM-16.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
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6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
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Abstract
objectiveUncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a mitochondrial protein responsible for nonshivering thermogenesis in adipose tissue, serves as a distinct marker for thermogenic brown and beige adipocytes. Ucp1-Cre mice are thus widely used to genetically manipulate these thermogenic adipocytes. However, evidence suggests that UCP1 may also be expressed in non-adipocyte cell types. In this study, we investigated the presence of UCP1 expression in different mouse tissues that have not been previously reported.
methodsWe employed Ucp1-Cre mice crossed with Cre-inducible transgenic reporter Nuclear tagging and Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (NuTRAP) mice to investigate Ucp1-Cre expression in various tissues of adult female mice and developing embryos. Tamoxifen-inducible Ucp1-CreERT2 mice crossed with NuTRAP mice were used to assess active Ucp1 expression in adult mice. Immunostaining, RNA analysis, and single-cell/nucleus RNA-seq (sc/snRNA-seq) data analysis were performed to determine the expression of endogenous UCP1 and Ucp1-Cre-driven reporter expression. We also investigated the impact of UCP1 deficiency on mammary gland development and function using Ucp1-knockout (KO) mice.
resultsUcp1-Cre expression was observed in the mammary glands within the inguinal white adipose tissue of female Ucp1-Cre; NuTRAP mice. Ucp1-Cre was activated during embryonic development in various tissues, including mammary glands, as well as in the brain, kidneys, eyes, and ears, specifically in epithelial cells in these organs. However, Ucp1-CreERT2 showed no or only partial activation in these tissues of adult mice, indicating the potential for low or transient expression of endogenous Ucp1. While sc/snRNA-seq data suggest potential expression of UCP1 in mammary epithelial cells in adult mice and humans, Ucp1-KO female mice displayed normal mammary gland development and function.
conclusionsOur findings reveal widespread Ucp1-Cre expression in various non-adipose tissue types, starting during early development. These results highlight the importance of exercising caution when interpreting data and devising experiments involving Ucp1-Cre mice.
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