Aida Machuca
Research Mentor: Hiroyuki Mori
Mentor Department: Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, Medicine
Author(s): Not Available
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 55
Abstract
Temperature is a lesser-credited contributor to cell biology and processes. In homeothermic (warm-blooded) animals, body temperature can vary from core regions of the body to distal regions, such as lower limbs and extremities. At the center of the body, temperature generally resides around 37°C, while distal regions maintain temperature around 31°C. With differing temperatures for hosting fat cells in these regions, changes in cellular processes are able to be observed. Prior research has identified different metabolic processes occurring in white fat cells (white adipocytes) in differing regions of the body due to this temperature change. Changes observed at 31°C in white adipocytes include increased mitochondrial output, less reliance on glucose, and perform more anabolic (protein-producing) metabolic activity. However, the means by which this metabolic transformation occurs is still largely uninvestigated. Our project aims to find the specific facilitators for this metabolic change, when temperature cools from 37°C to 31°C. By targeting specific regulators for acetylation, as well as mitochondrial enzymes in cooled fat tissue, our research seeks to observe if they are responsible for the temperature-dependent metabolic changes.
