ABSTRACT
BAT was First recognized in the 1960s to be a thermogenic tissue and in the following twenty years research interest was mainly focused on the biochemistry of heat production in brown fat. Advances in molecular biology techniques and development of brown adipocyte cell culture systems in the last decade have allowed closer investigation of the molecular mecha nisms of gene regulation and differentiation of brown adipocytes. Advancements in transgenic animal technology and the increasing availability of transgenic animal models also greatly contributed to our understanding of brown fat function in various physiological situations. Stud ies on the UCPl gene have ultimately led to the discovery of other uncoupling proteins similar to UCPl expressed in various tissues whose functions are not yet clear but which might play important roles in energy balance.
