The re-discovery of brown adipose tissue in humans has re-kindled enormous interest in the research of brown, and its related brown-like adipocytes, i.e., beige or brite adipocytes. Recently, there have been many new studies regarding the differentiation and function of brown and beige/brite adipocytes, as well as novel developments aimed at combating obesity and its sequelae by targeting either brown fat activity or increasing differentiation of beige/brite adipocytes in white fat depots.
This special focus issue of Adipocyte provides a nexus for an up-to-date collection of reviews, commentaries, and research articles on brown and beige/brite adipocytes. There are five review articles, three commentaries, and six research papers included in this special issue. Adrenergic regulation is the classical pathway of recruiting thermogenic adipocytes, and James Granneman and Vanesa Ramseyer review the mechanisms of brown and beige/brite adipocyte recruitment by sympathetic activation. Stephen Farmer and Jean Lin address the role of cytoskeletal dynamics in the regulation of adipose cell fate and thermogenic function. Laura Herrero and her colleagues discuss fatty acid metabolism in relation to brown fat-mediated energy expenditure. Kristin Stanford and Laurie Goodyear highlight the impact of exercise training on adipose tissue, and discuss the current perplexity of exercise-induced browning of white adipose tissue. Claude Forest et al provide an overview of the effect of extracellular factors on thermogenic function. Additional expert commentaries offer in-depth discussions on recent publications regarding the role of the circadian clock, the nuclear receptor LXRs, and the molecular scaffold protein 14-3-3ȥ on thermogenic adipocyte differentiation, nutrient utilization, and energy homeostasis. This special issue also includes several new research articles, highlighting the continuous efforts toward unraveling the complexities of these intriguing fat cells.
Each paper presented in this special focus issue of Adipocyte offers a unique outlook of brown and beige/brite adipocyte biology and its role in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. This collective knowledge will bring forth better understanding regarding both the fundamental biology of brown and beige/brite adipocytes, as well as their therapeutic promise.