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Review
. 2021 Mar 12:12:599134.
doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.599134. eCollection 2021.

Beige Adipose Tissue Identification and Marker Specificity-Overview

Anna-Claire Pilkington  1 , Henry A Paz  1   2 , Umesh D Wankhade  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Beige Adipose Tissue Identification and Marker Specificity-Overview

Anna-Claire Pilkington et al. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). .

Abstract

Adipose tissue (AT) is classified based on its location, physiological and functional characteristics. Although there is a clear demarcation of anatomical and molecular features specific to white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), the factors that uniquely differentiate beige AT (BeAT) remain to be fully elaborated. The ubiquitous presence of different types of AT and the inability to differentiate brown and beige adipocytes because of similar appearance present a challenge when classifying them one way or another. Here we will provide an overview of the latest advances in BeAT, BAT, and WAT identification based on transcript markers described in the literature. The review paper will highlight some of the difficulties these markers pose and will offer new perspectives on possible transcript-specific identification of BeAT. We hope that this will advance the understanding of the biology of different ATs. In addition, concrete strategies to distinguish different types of AT may be relevant to track the efficacy and mechanisms around interventions aimed to improve metabolic health and thwart excessive weight gain.

Keywords: beige adipose tissue; brown adipose tissue; obesity; thermogenesis; white adipose tissue.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Venn diagram of WAT, BAT and Beige markers and their pattern of expression. Genes reported in literature as a marker for WAT, BAT and BeAT. Venn diagram represents the commonality and uniqueness of certain transcripts.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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