Scientific background: |
UCP1 (Uncoupling Protein 1), also called THERMOGENIN or UCP, is an uncoupling protein found in the mitochondria of brown adipose tissue (BAT). Using in situ hybridization, Cassard et al. (1990) assigned the human UCP gene to 4q31. They found that the primary structure of UCP is similar to that of ADP/ATP translocator of skeletal muscle, the gene for which is also located on chromosome 4. The failure of UCP1 expressed in E. coli inclusion bodies to carry out fatty acid-dependent H+ transport activity inclusion bodies made Echtay et al. (2000) seek a native UCP cofactor. They identified coenzyme Q (CoQ, or ubiquinone) as such a cofactor. On addition of CoQ(10) to reconstituted UCP1 from inclusion bodies, fatty acid-dependent proton transport reached the same rate as with native UCP1. |
References: |
1. Cassard, A. M., Bouillaud, F., Mattei, M. G., Hentz, E., Raimbault, S., Thomas, M., Ricquier, D. Human uncoupling protein gene: structure, comparison with rat gene, and assignment to the long arm of chromosome 4. J. Cell. Biochem. 43: 255-264, 1990.
2. Echtay, K. S., Winkler, E., Klingenberg, M. Coenzyme Q is an obligatory cofactor for uncoupling protein function. Nature 408: 609-613, 2000.
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