Brown adipose tissue (BAT) contains mitochondria-enriched thermogenic fat cells (brown adipocytes) that play a crucial role in the regulation of energy metabolism and systemic glucose homeostasis. It was presumed that brown adipocytes are composed of a homogeneous cell population. In this issue of the JCI, however, Song and colleagues report a previously uncharacterized subpopulation of brown adipocytes that display distinct characteristics from the conventional brown adipocytes in their molecular signature, regulation, and fuel utilization. The present study provides novel insight into our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in adipose tissues.

中文翻译：

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棕色脂肪组织中的细胞异质性

棕色脂肪组织（BAT）包含线粒体富集的生热脂肪细胞（棕色脂肪细胞），它们在调节能量代谢和全身性葡萄糖稳态方面起着至关重要的作用。据推测，棕色脂肪细胞由同质的细胞群组成。然而，在本期JCI中，Song及其同事报告了先前未表征的棕色脂肪细胞亚群，在分子标记，调控和燃料利用方面表现出与常规棕色脂肪细胞不同的特征。本研究为我们对脂肪组织中细胞异质性的理解提供了新颖的见解。