Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40355556›Full record

ArticleThe EMBO journal2025

The microprotein C16orf74/MICT1 promotes thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue.

Jennie Dinh, Danielle Yi, Frances Lin, Pengya Xue, Nicholas D Holloway, Ying Xie, Nnejiuwa U Ibe, Hai P Nguyen, Jose A Viscarra, Yuhui Wang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The EMBO journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Sketching microprotein portraits.Protein science : a publication of the Protein Society · 2026
    Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. 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

11 authors.

Jennie Dinh *Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Danielle Yi *Department of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Frances LinDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Pengya XueDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Nicholas D HollowayDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Ying XieDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Nnejiuwa U IbeDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5608-5539
Hai P NguyenDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Jose A ViscarraDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Yuhui WangDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
Hei Sook SulDepartment of Nutritional Sciences & Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. hsul@berkeley.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3372-5097

Funding

MICT1 function in thermogenesisR01DK134757 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI Hei Sook Sul · 2023 to 2026
$2.1M
Novel transcriptional regulators for thermogenic programR01DK120075 · NIDDK · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY · PI SUL, HEI SOOK · 2019 to 2022
$1.5M
HHS | NIH | National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) DK134757NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK120075NIDDK NIH HHS R01 DK134757
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Brown and beige adipose tissues are metabolically beneficial for increasing energy expenditure via thermogenesis, mainly through UCP1 (uncoupling protein 1). Here, we identify C16orf74, subsequently named MICT1 (microprotein for thermogenesis 1), as a microprotein that is specifically and highly expressed in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and is induced upon cold exposure. MICT1 interacts with protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B, calcineurin) through the docking motif PNIIIT, thereby interfering with dephosphorylation of the regulatory subunit of protein kinase A (PKA), RIIβ, and potentiating PKA activity in brown adipocytes. Overexpression of MICT1 in differentiated brown adipocytes promotes thermogenesis, showing increased oxygen consumption rate (OCR) with higher thermogenic gene expression during β

Indexed as

Adipose Tissue, BrownThermogenesisAdipocytes, BrownAnimalsCalcineurinCyclic AMP-Dependent Protein KinasesEnergy MetabolismHumansInsulin ResistanceMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLObesityCalcineurinCyclic AMP-Dependent Protein KinasesBrown Adipose Tissue (Thermogenesis)C16orf74 (MICT1)MicroproteinPP2B (Calcineurin)Protein Kinase A (PKA)

Identifiers

PMID40355556
PMCPMC12170882

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.