Elucidation of Regulatory Mechanism of Brown Adipocyte Differentiation and Glucose, Lipid and Energy Metabolism by NFIA

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09818
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Metabolomics
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Waki Hironori 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 准教授 (00466765)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 褐色脂肪細胞 / 転写 / 遺伝子 / 分化 / 肥満 / 糖尿病 / トランスジェニック / ノックアウト

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Brown adipose tissue has attracted attention as a therapeutic target for obesity. We discovered that a transcription factor NFIA plays an important role in the regulation of brown-adipocyte-specific gene expression. NFIA knockout mice die within a few weeks after birth due to neurological deficit. By creating adipose-tissue-specific NFIA knockout mice and transgenic mice and by studying regulatory mechanism of NFIA, we elucidated NFIA's role in gene regulation and systemic enegery metabolism and its relation to environment.

Free Research Field

糖尿病・代謝内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

脂肪細胞におけるこれまでのNFIAの知見に加えて、成体の全身のエネルギー代謝と環境因子との関連におけるNFIAの役割を明らかなった点で、肥満やメタボリックシンドローム、２型糖尿病などの疾患の治療に役立つ可能性が示唆された。