A Regulatory Pathway of Thermogenesis in Brown Fat Through Retinoic Acid

Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue is achieved by the enzyme that uncouples the respiratory chain from oxidative phosphorylation. This enzyme is regulated by the sympathetic nervous system and, as recently discovered, by transcriptional regulation through retinoic acid (RA). Thus, RA is involved in heat production and, hence, in the regulation of energy balance.