Brown fat in a protoendothermic mammal fuels eutherian evolution

Oelkrug, Rebecca, Goetze, Nadja, Exner, Cornelia, Lee, Yang, Ganjam, Goutham K., Kutschke, Maria, Müller, Saskia, Stöhr, Sigrid, Tschöp, Matthias H., Crichton, Paul G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3786-8359, Heldmaier, Gerhard, Jastroch, Martin and Meyer, Carola W. (2013) Brown fat in a protoendothermic mammal fuels eutherian evolution. Nature Communications, 4. ISSN 2041-1723

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Abstract

Endothermy has facilitated mammalian species radiation, but the sequence of events leading to sustained thermogenesis is debated in multiple evolutionary models. Here we study the Lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi), a phylogenetically ancient, 'protoendothermic' eutherian mammal, in which constantly high body temperatures are reported only during reproduction. Evidence for nonshivering thermogenesis is found in vivo during periodic ectothermic-endothermic transitions. Anatomical studies reveal large brown fat-like structures in the proximity of the reproductive organs, suggesting physiological significance for parental care. Biochemical analysis demonstrates high mitochondrial proton leak catalysed by an uncoupling protein 1 ortholog. Strikingly, bioenergetic profiling of tenrec uncoupling protein 1 reveals similar thermogenic potency as modern mouse uncoupling protein 1, despite the large phylogenetic distance. The discovery of functional brown adipose tissue in this 'protoendothermic' mammal links nonshivering thermogenesis directly to the roots of eutherian evolution, suggesting physiological importance prior to sustained body temperatures and migration to the cold.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Metabolic Health
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2016 12:00
Last Modified:	19 Oct 2023 01:51
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/61225
DOI:	10.1038/ncomms3140

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