Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Uncoupling protein 1: a short-circuit in the chemiosmotic process

  • Published:
Journal of Bioenergetics and Biomembranes Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

One of the significant naturally occurring short-circuits in the chemiosmotic process is manifest through the activity of uncoupling protein 1, most notably present in the inner membrane of mitochondria in brown adipose tissue. Much has been learnt about the mechanism of action of uncoupling protein 1 since its discovery in the 1970’s, yet many areas of controversy surround (i) the mechanism of its action, (ii) novel regulators of its activity, and (iii) the tissue specificity of its expression. In this mini-review, areas of controversy are highlighted from the aforementioned categories using selected key experiments to demonstrate the arguments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams AE, Hanrahan O, Nolan DN, Voorheis HP, Fallon PG, Porter RK (2007) Biochim Biophys Acta 1777:115–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Adams AE, Carroll AM, Fallon PG, Porter RK (2008) Biochim Biophys Acta 1777:772–776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arch JAT, Ainsworth AT, Cawthorne MA, Piercy V, Sennitt MV, Thody VE, Wilson C, Wilson S (1984) Nature 309:163–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Breen EP, Gouin S, Brennan CM, Murphy AF, Haines LR, Pearson AM, Jackson TW, Murphy PV, Porter RK (2006) J Biol Chem 281:2114–2119

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brennan CM, Breen EP, Porter RK (2006) Biochim Biophys Acta 1757:1463–1468

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bronnikov GE, Bengtsson T, Kramarova L, Golozoubova V, Cannon B, Nedergaard J (1999a) Endocrinol 110:47–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronnikov GE, Zhang S-J, Cannon B, Nedergaard J (1999b) J Biol Chem 274:37770–37780

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cannon B, Nedergaard J (2004) Physiol Rev 84:277–359

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll AM, Haines LR, Pearson TW, Brennan C, Breen EP, Porter RK (2004) Biochem Soc Trans 32:1066–1067

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll AM, Haines LR, Pearson TW, Fallon PG, Walsh C, Brennan C, Breen EP, Porter RK (2005) J Biol Chem 280:15534–15543

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll AM, Porter RK, Morrice NA (2008) Biochim Biophys Acta 1777:1060–1065

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cinti S, Frederich RC, Zingaretti MC, De Matteis R, Flier JS, Lowell RR (1997) Endocrinol 138:797–804

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dyson MT, Jones JK, Kowalewski MP, Manna PR, Alonso M, Gottesman ME, Stocco DM (2008) Biol Reprod 78:267–277

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Echtay KS, Winkler E, Klingenberg M (2000) Nature 408:609–613

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Echtay KS, Esteves TC, Pakay JL, Jekabsons MB, Lambert AJ, Portero-Otin M, Pamplona R, Vidal-Puig AJ, Wang S, Roebuck SJ, Brand MD (2003) EMBO J 22:4103–4110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Esteves TC, Brand MD (2005) Biochim Biphys Acta 1709:35–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frontini A, Rousset S, Cassard-Doulcier AM, Zingaretti C, Ricquier D, Cinti S (2007) J Hist Cytochem 55:183–189

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garlid KD, Jabůrek M, Ježek P, Vařecha M (2000) Biochim Biophys Acta 1459:383–389

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garlid KD, Jabůrek M, Ježek P (2001) Biochem Soc Trans 29:803–806

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gouin S, Pilgrim W, Porter RK, Murphy PV (2005) Carb Res 340:1547–1552

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Himms-Hagen J, Cui J, Danforth E, Taatjes DJ, Lang SS, Waters BL, Claus TH (1994) Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 226:R1371–R1382

    Google Scholar 

  • Hopper RK, Carroll S, Aponte AM, Johnson DT, French S, Shen RF, Witzmann FA, Harris RA, Balaban RS (2006) Biochemistry 45:2524–2536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jabůrek M, Garlid KD (2003) J Biol Chem 278:25825–25831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jabůrek M, Vařecha M, Gimeno RE, Dembski M, Ježek P, Zhang M, Burn P, Tartaglia LA, Garlid KD (1999) J Biol Chem 274:26003–26007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ježek P, Garlid KD (1990) J Biol Chem 265:19303–19311

    Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez-Jimenez J, Ledesma A, Zaragoza P, Gonzalez-Barroso MM, Rial E (2006) Biochim Biophys Acta 1757:1292–1296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klingenberg M, Huang S-G (1999) Biochim Biophys Acta 1415:271–296

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klingenberg M, Echtay KS, Bienengraeber M, Winkler E, Huang SG (1999) Int J Obesity Rel Metab Disord 23:S24–S29

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee I, Salomon AR, Ficarro S, Mathes I, Lottspeich F, Grossmann LI, Hütteman M (2005) J Biol Chem 280:6094–6100

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nibbelink M, Moulin K, Arnaud E, Duval C, Penicaud L, Casteilla L (2001) J Biol Chem 276:47291–47295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls DG (2001) Biochem Soc Trans 29:751–755

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls DG (2006) Biochim Biophys Acta 1757:459–466

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls DG, Locke RM (1984) Physiol Rev 64:1–64

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholls DG, Rial E (1999) J Bioenerg Biomembr 5:399–406

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter RK (2006) Biochim Biophys Acta 1757:446–448

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ricquier D, Barlet JP, Garel JM, Combes-George M, Dubois MP (1983) Biochem J 210:859–866

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ritter MA, Crispe IN (1992) The Thymus. In: Rickwood D, Male D (eds.) IRL Press at Oxford University Press, Oxford

  • Rousset S, Alves-Guerra M-C, Ouadghiri-Bencherif S, Kozak LP, Miroux B, Richard D, Bouillaud F, Ricquier D, Cassard-Doulcier A-M (2003) J Biol Chem 278:45843–45847

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sardinalli AM, Signorile A, Nuzzi R, De Rasmo D, Technikova-Dobrova Z, Drahota Z, Occhiello A, Pica A, Papa S (2006) FEBS Letts 580:5690–5696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shabalina IG, Jacobsson A, Cannon B, Nedergaard J (2004) J Biol Chem 279:38236–38248

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shabalina IG, Petrovic N, Kramarova TV, Hoeks J, Cannon B, Nedergaard J (2006) 281:13882–13889

  • Skulachev VP (1991) FEBS Letts 294:158–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Souza SC, Christoffolete MA, Ribeiro MO, Miyoshi H, Strissel KJ, Stancheva ZS, Rogers NH, D'Eon TM, Perfield JW, Imachi H, Obin MS, Bianco AC, Greenberg AS (2007) J Lipid Res 48:1273–1279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

    Richard K. Porter

Authors
  1. Richard K. Porter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard K. Porter.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Porter, R.K. Uncoupling protein 1: a short-circuit in the chemiosmotic process. J Bioenerg Biomembr 40, 457–461 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10863-008-9172-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10863-008-9172-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation