Journal
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
Volume 24, Issue 7, Pages 3057-3067Publisher
AMER SOC MICROBIOLOGY
DOI: 10.1128/MCB.24.7.3057-3067.2004
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Funding
- NIDDK NIH HHS [R01 DK054024, R01-DK54477, R01 DK054477, R01 DK053092, R01-DK54024] Funding Source: Medline
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It is well established that catecholamine-stimulated thermogenesis in brown fat requires P-adrenergic elevations in cyclic AMP (cAMP) to increase expression of the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) gene. However, little is known about the downstream components of the signaling cascade or the relevant transcription factor targets thereof. Here we demonstrate that cAMP- and protein kinase A-dependent activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in brown adipocytes is an indispensable step in the transcription of the UCP1 gene in mice. By phosphorylating activating transcription factor 2 (ATF-2) and peroxisome proliferator-ctivated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) coativator 1alpha(PGC-1alpha) members of two distinct nuclear factor families, p38 MAPK controls the expression of the UCP1 gene through their respective interactions with a cAMP response element and a PPAR response element that both reside within a critical enhancer motif of the UCP1 gene. Activation of ATF-2 by p38 MAPK additionally serves as the cAMP sensor that increases expression of the PGC-1alpha gene itself in brown adipose tissue. In conclusion, our findings illustrate that by orchestrating the activity of multiple transcription factors, p38 MAPK is a central mediator of the cAMP signaling mechanism of brown fat that promotes thermogenesis.
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