Heartland GDF15 and FGF21 Improve Glucose Metabolism in Mice Lacking OPA1 in Brown Adipose Tissue

Overview

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has the potential to mitigate obesity and its complications via increased thermogenesis and the release of endocrine factors, which play a role in regulating systemic metabolism. It was previously shown that mice lacking the mito chondrial fusion protein optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) in BAT (OPA1 BKO) had an improved metabolism like increased insulin sensitivity and glucose clearance. These mice also had high levels of the proteins fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF 15) in BAT and the serum. In this study, the hypothesis that FGF21 and GDF15 act together to improve glucose metabolism in OPA1 BKO mice was tested. To test this hypothesis, mice lacking OPA1, FGF21, and GDF15 in their BAT (TKO) were g enerated and tested for their glucose tolerance and then later, insulin sensitivity. The results showed that TKO mice had impaired glucose tolerance compared to the wild-type control, whereas their insulin sensitivity was similar. In conclusion, while GDF1 5 and FGF21 are necessary to maintain normal glucose levels in OPA1 BKO mice, they don’t contribute to insulin sensitivity. Understanding how BAT-released endocrine factors like GDF15 and FGF21 contribute to the regulation of glucose metabolism is crucial for developing new therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic disorders.

Competition history

• JSHS 2025 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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