1. Figure 2 BMPs in brown and beige adipogenesis and function
Figure 2 | BMPs in brown and beige adipogenesis and function. BMP7 is produced by brown adipose tissue stromal vascular cells and promotes brown adipocyte commitment and differentiation. By contrast, BMP4 is induced in adipogenic precursor cells in white adipocytes where, in addition to promoting white adipogenesis (not shown), it regulates beige precursor cell commitment and differentiation in the presence of thermogenic activation stimuli. Growth/differentiation factor 8 (GDF8) is produced by brown adipocytes in response to hunger-related stimuli in the central nervous system and seems to have negative effects on brown and beige adipocyte thermogenic activity. Follistatin is secreted by brown, and possibly beige, cells and induces their activity by repressing GDF8 signalling. BMP8b is secreted by mature brown adipocytes and it enhances the responsiveness of brown fat to sympathetic activation in autocrine and endocrine manners. BMP, bone morphogenetic protein.
Villarroya, F. et al. (2016) Brown adipose tissue as a secretory organ
Nat. Rev. Endocrinol. doi: /nrendo