Authors:

Charles Thrift

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About Paper:

Within the global population, obesity and metabolic disorders resulting from excess energy are becoming increasingly common. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondria have the unique ability to conduct non- shivering thermogenesis and dissipate energy as heat, thus promoting energy expenditure. Our research explores the function of LETM1-domain containing 1 (LETMD1), a novel mitochondrial inner membrane protein within BAT. We generated a brown adipocyte-specific (Letmd1UKO) mouse model, which resulted in striking phenotypic differences within Letmd1UKO mice, including whitened BAT, increased lipid droplet accumulation, and loss of normal mitochondria structure and cristae arrangement. To understand how LETMD1 works at the molecular level, we have recently performed TurboID proximity labeling to determine potential interaction partners of LETMD1. This SCARF project aims to validate some of the interactions as well as to further characterize the mutant phenotypes. Determining the role of LETMD1 for BAT thermogenesis, mitochondria structure, and function will increase BAT characterization and potentially lead to therapeutic targets for combatting obesity and metabolic disorders.

Source:

Purdue University / 2023

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Co-authors:

Charles Thrift