Loss of glucagon signaling alters white adipose tissue browning

What is it about?

The ability to change fat tissue into a tissue capable of expending and wasting excess energy has received a lot of attention. However, although we have identified many things able to achieve this, we are still unsure of the hormonal cues that regulate this process in response to cold exposure. Glucagon is a hormone that has, until now, been ignored in this regard. Thus, we used mice that lack the receptor for glucagon to test whether this would effect how fat tissue responds to cold or pharmalogical stimulation. Overall, we found that the absence of glucagon signalling greatly impairs the transformation of fat tissue in response to cold or pharmacological challenges. We provide evidence that this impairment may be at least partly due to cellular responses within the fat cells. This information provides good evidence that glucagon contributes to overall fat tissue metabolism.

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