Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39956805›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Melanocortin 3 receptor regulates hepatic autophagy and systemic adiposity.

Tushar P Patel, Joo Yun Jun, Arnold Y Seo, Noah J Levi, Diana M Elizondo, Jocelyn Chen, Adrian M Wong, Nicol Tugarinov, Elizabeth K Altman, Daniel B Gehle and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. The Genetic Blueprint of Obesity: From Pathogenesis to Novel Therapies.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Review
  8. Article
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

18 authors.

Tushar P Patel *Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7823-2579
Joo Yun Jun *Section on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Arnold Y SeoJanelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Ashburn, VA, USA.
Noah J LeviSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2854-9113
Diana M ElizondoSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Jocelyn ChenSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Adrian M WongSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3919-0705
Nicol TugarinovSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0918-9172
Elizabeth K AltmanSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Daniel B GehleSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4629-7615
Sun Min JungSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Pooja PatelSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Mark EricsonDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Carrie Haskell-LuevanoDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Tamar C DembyMouse Metabolism Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Antony CougnouxSection on Molecular Dysmorphology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Anna WolskaLipoprotein Metabolism Laboratory, Translational Vascular Medicine Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9479-0741
Jack A YanovskiSection on Growth and Obesity, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA. yanovskj@mail.nih.gov.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8542-1637

Funding

Physiology, Psychology, and Genetics of ObesityZIAHD000641 · NICHD · EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT · PI YANOVSKI, JACK A. · 2009 to 2025
$24.8M
Melanocortin Receptor Selective LigandsR01DK124504 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI GIULIANOTTI, MARC, HASKELL-LUEVANO, CARRIE · 2021 to 2024
$2.8M
Intramural NIH HHS ZIA HD000641NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK124504U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) ZIAHD000641U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | NIH | National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases) R01DK124504
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Systemic lipid homeostasis requires hepatic autophagy, a major cellular program for intracellular fat recycling. Here, we find melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) regulates hepatic autophagy in addition to its previously established CNS role in systemic energy partitioning and puberty. Mice with Mc3r deficiency develop obesity with hepatic triglyceride accumulation and disrupted hepatocellular autophagosome turnover. Mice with partially inactive human MC3R due to obesogenic variants demonstrate similar hepatic autophagic dysfunction. In vitro and in vivo activation of hepatic MC3R upregulates autophagy through LC3II activation, TFEB cytoplasmic-to-nuclear translocation, and subsequent downstream gene activation. MC3R-deficient hepatocytes had blunted autophagosome-lysosome docking and lipid droplet clearance. Finally, the liver-specific rescue of Mc3r was sufficient to restore hepatocellular autophagy, improve hepatocyte mitochondrial function and systemic energy expenditures, reduce adipose tissue lipid accumulation, and partially restore body weight in both male and female mice. We thus report a role for MC3R in regulating hepatic autophagy and systemic adiposity.

Indexed as

AdiposityAutophagyLiverReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 3AnimalsAutophagosomesBasic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription FactorsEnergy MetabolismFemaleHepatocytesHumansLipid DropletsLipid MetabolismLysosomesMaleMiceBasic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription FactorsMicrotubule-Associated ProteinsReceptor, Melanocortin, Type 3Tcfeb protein, mouseTriglycerides

Identifiers

PMID39956805
PMCPMC11830824

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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.