Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026

Measuring the Rate of Lipolysis in Ex Vivo Murine Adipose Tissue and Primary Preadipocytes Differentiated In Vitro
Published on: March 17, 2023
FGF21 mediates the lipid metabolism response to amino acid starvation
Ana Luísa De Sousa-Coelho1, Joana Relat, Elayne Hondares
1Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract:
Lipogenic gene expression in liver is repressed in mice upon leucine deprivation. The hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), which is critical to the adaptive metabolic response to starvation, is also induced under amino acid deprivation. Upon leucine deprivation, we found that FGF21 is needed to repress expression of lipogenic genes in liver and white adipose tissue, and stimulate phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase in white adipose tissue. The increased expression of Ucp1 in brown adipose tissue under these circumstances is also impaired in FGF21-deficient mice. Our results demonstrate the important role of FGF21 in the regulation of lipid metabolism during amino acid starvation.
Related Concept Videos
Metabolic States of the Body: Fasting and Starvation
Lipid Catabolism
Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity
Two...
Overview of Lipid Metabolism
Lipolysis: The Breakdown of Lipids:
Lipolysis is the process of breaking down lipids, particularly triglycerides, into glycerol and fatty acids. This process typically occurs in the adipose tissue and is triggered by various hormones, including glucagon and...
Regulation of Metabolism
