TBLR1 in Brown Adipose Tissue Function

Obesity and associated metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus have become a major health burden within the last decades. A new strategy to counter-act obesity lays in the activation of brown adipose tissue owing to its vast thermogenic capacity und its consequent great ability to burn energy. However, to use the potential of thermogenic adipose tissue, it is essential to understand molecular mechanism that regulate its function. In this project it is aimed to study the role of the transcriptional cofactor TBLR1 (transducin beta-like related 1) for the functionality of thermogenic adipose tissue. Therefore, a genetically modified mouse line was created, in which the Tblr1 gene is deleted specifically in thermogenic fat cells. With this novel mouse line it is planned to perform a comprehensive metabolic and molecular biological characterisation to define the role of TBLR1 for brown fat function and to decipher its influence on systemic energy homeostasis. In addition, the analysis aims to identify TBLR1 dependent transcriptional networks that regulate metabolic pathways in brown fat cells. The results of this study will improve the understanding of brown fat physiology and clarify fundamental mechanisms how brown adipose tissue is transcriptionally regulated by TBLR1.

No additional funding sources recorded.