Methionine oxidation of TRPV2 regulates thermogenesis in brown adipocytes

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) is a non-selective cation channel activated by mechanical stimuli and temperatures above 52°C. Although we have previously reported that TRPV2 regulates non-shivering thermogenesis through facilitating the expression of genes related to thermogenesis, how TRPV2 activity is regulated in brown adipocytes under physiological conditions remains unclear. Recently, methionine oxidation was reported to lower the activation temperature threshold of TRPV2 to around or even below core body temperature. In the present study, we investigated whether methionine oxidation activates TRPV2 and regulates thermogenesis in the differentiated brown adipocytes. As a result, treatment with Chloramine-T (ChT, a methionine oxidant) activated TRPV2 at temperatures of >30°C in mouse TRPV2-expressing HEK293T cells and in the differentiated brown adipocytes. Moreover, ChT treatment enhanced the expression of genes related to thermogenesis in the differentiated brown adipocytes. These results suggest that methionine oxidation might activate TRPV2 at around body temperature and increase thermogenesis-related gene expression.