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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Differentiation and Imaging of Brown Adipocytes from the Stromal Vascular Fraction of Interscapular Adipose Tissue from Newborn Mice
Published on: February 3, 2023
β₃-Adrenergic activation of sequential Ca(2+) release from mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum and the
Ryotaro Hayato1, Yoko Higure, Masako Kuba
1Laboratory of Anatomy and Physiology, School of Nutritional Sciences, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences, Nissin, Aichi, Japan.
Abstract:
We studied how mitochondrial uncoupling by β(3)-adrenergic stimulation elicits Ca(2+) signals in rodent brown adipocytes by fluorometry of Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)](i), [Ca(2+)](m) and [Ca(2+)](ER)) in the cytoplasm, mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), respectively, and mitochondrial membrane potential, using fura-2, rhod-5N, cameleon and rhodamine 123. Immunoblotting demonstrated α(1A)- and β(3)-adrenergic receptor and UCP1 in adipocytes, while RT-PCR revealed the mRNA of type 3, 7 and 9 adenylate cyclase, UCP1, UCP2, UCP3 and type 1 and 2 inositoltrisphosphate receptors. Isoproterenol and BRL37344, β-agonist, caused triphasic rises in [Ca(2+)](i) (β-responses) with mitochondrial depolarization in adipocytes. BRL37344 transiently decreased [Ca(2+)](m). β-Responses were blocked by propranolol, β-antagonist, H-89, protein kinase A blocker, and knockout of UCP1 gene. The late phase of β-responses was depressed by a Ca(2+) free, EGTA solution, U73122, a phospholipase C blocker, and thapsigargin, ER-Ca(2+) pump blocker, and by transfecting siRNA for type 2 IP(3)R. Intracellular loading of BAPTA/AM depressed the late phase more strongly than the initial phase. β-Agonists, phenylephrine, α-agonist, and cyclopiazonic acid, ER-Ca(2+) pump blocker, decreased [Ca(2+)](ER). Thus, the mitochondrial uncoupling by β(3)-adrenergic activation causes Ca(2+) release from mitochondria and subsequently from the ER and further evokes plasmalemmal Ca(2+) entries, including the store-operated Ca(2+) entry.
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