The Human Uncoupling Protein-3 Gene

The role of uncoupling protein 3 in human physiology.

Energy metabolism in uncoupling protein 3 gene knockout mice.

Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is a member of the mitochondrial anion carrier superfamily. Based upon its high homology with UCP1 and its restricted tissue distribution to skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, UCP3 has been suggested to play important roles in regulating energy expenditure, body weight, and thermoregulation. Other postulated roles for UCP3 include regulation of fatty acid meta...

Impaired expression of the uncoupling protein-3 gene in skeletal muscle during lactation: fibrates and troglitazone reverse lactation-induced downregulation of the uncoupling protein-3 gene.

The expression of uncoupling protein (UCP)-3 mRNA in skeletal muscle is dramatically reduced during lactation in mice. The reduction in UCP-3 mRNA levels lowers the amount of the UCP-3 protein in skeletal muscle mitochondria during lactation. Spontaneous or abrupt weaning reverses the downregulation of the UCP-3 mRNA but not the reduction in UCP-3 protein levels. In lactating and virgin mice, h...

Uncoupling protein 3 biological activity.

The hypothesis that uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is an uncoupling protein involved in heat dissipation is not unequivocally supported. An update of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies testing this hypothesis is presented. Data are provided showing that exercise induces a fatty acid-dependent increase in muscle UCP3 mRNA in humans. The proposed positive correlation between glycolytic capacity a...

Uncoupling protein 3 and fatty acid metabolism.

A role for uncoupling protein (UCP) 3 in fatty acid metabolism is reviewed within the context of our proposal, first put forward in 1998, that this homologue of UCP1 may be involved in the regulation of lipids as fuel substrate rather than in the mediation of thermogenesis. Since then, the demonstrations of muscle-type differences in UCP3 gene regulation in response to dietary manipulations (st...