Annotation: Thermogenesis can account for a substantial fraction of energy expenditure (EE) and thus affect the development of obesity. The most studied is the non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) dependent on uncoupling protein 1 in brown adipose tissue (BAT). In contrast, we focus on shivering and alternative NST mechanisms in skeletal muscle, which may contribute to obesity resistance. We compare the dynamics of cold adaptation of obesity-prone C57BL/6J (B6) mice, which rely on BAT, with obesity-resistant A/J mice, which preferentially recruit muscle NST, assessing their EE and core body temperature by continuous indirect calorimetry and characterizing muscle metabolic changes by integrated multi-omics approaches. We found that compared to the B6 strain, A/J mice exhibit decreased shivering endurance but can gradually recruit muscle NST capacity. However, this muscle NST impairs the efficiency of physical activity, increasing the energy cost of exercise and thus potentially protecting animals from developing obesity.

Contact at IPHYS: Petr Zouhar (petr.zouhar@fgu.cas.cz)