Abstract
The molecular basis for variations in resting metabolic rate (RMR) within a species is unknown. One possibility is that variations in RMR occur because of variations in uncoupling protein 2 (UCP-2) and uncoupling protein 3 (UCP-3) expression, resulting in mitochondrial proton leak differences. We tested the hypothesis that UCP-2 and -3 mRNAs positively correlate with RMR and proton leak. We treated thyroidectomized and sham-operated mice with triiodothyronine (T3) or vehicle and measured RMR, liver, and skeletal muscle mitochondrial nonphosphorylating respiration and UCP-2 and -3 mRNAs. T3 stimulated RMR and liver UCP-2 and gastrocnemius UCP-2 and -3 expression. Mitochondrial respiration was not affected by T3 and did not correlate with UCP-2 and -3 mRNAs. Gastrocnemius UCP-2 and -3 expression did correlate with RMR. We conclude 1) T3 did not influence intrinsic mitochondrial properties such as membrane structure and composition, and 2) variations in UCP-2 and -3 expression may partly explain variations in RMR. One possible explanation for these data is that T3 stimulates the leak in vivo but not in vitro because a posttranslational regulator of UCP-2 and -3 is not retained in the mitochondrial fraction.
Original language | English (US) |
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Journal | American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism |
Volume | 277 |
Issue number | 2 40-2 |
State | Published - Aug 1999 |
Keywords
- Mitochondria
- Proton leak
- Thyroid hormone
- Uncoupling protein
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physiology
- Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
- Physiology (medical)