Scientists have reported that a molecular1 pathway called mTORC1 controls the conversion2 of unhealthy white fat into beige（浅褐色的） fat, an appealing target for increasing energy expenditure3 and reducing obesity4. The team, led by researchers from the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also found that a protein, Grb10, serves as the on-off switch for mTORC1 signaling and the beigeing of fat. The finding could inform development of novel diabetes5 and obesity drugs, the scientists said. The study is reported in this months issue of Cell metabolism6 and was selected as the highlighted featured article.
Heat in response to coldGrb10 is stimulated7 by cold stress, which causes the body to burn energy. We know that if we want to keep our body lean, we have to get rid of extra nutrients8 in the body, which means burning more energy, said senior author Feng Liu, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the UT Health Science Center and director of the metabolic9 Syndrome10 Research Center at Xiangya Second Hospital, Central South University, in Changsha, China.Understanding how beigeing is controlled is so very important because if we can improve energy expenditure, we can reduce obesity, Dr. Liu said.Undesirable11 storageAdipose12 tissues, which include white adipose tissue（白色脂肪组织） and brown adipose tissue, are important regulators of metabolism. Having too much white adipose tissue and not burning it off through exercise or other energy expenditure is associated with obesity and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.Normally when we eat something, we store it in white fat, said co-author Lily Dong, Ph.D., professor of cellular13 and structural14 biology at the UT Health Science Center. For the extra food we eat, it is better to release it, not store it. So finding a way to turn the white fat into beige and burn the energy that normally we store would have high therapeutic15 potential for the treatment of obesity and its related diseases. Dr. Liu has identified the pathway to do this.Broader applicationThe mTORC1 pathway is also involved in aging, cardiovascular disease and cancer, so identifying the regulator of this pathway, Grb10, should be very informative16 for researching other fields, Dr. Liu said.Drs. Liu and Dong also are members of the Health Science Centers Barshop Institute for Longevity17 and Aging Studies.
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1 molecular adj.分子的；克分子的 参考例句： The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms.这项研究将使人可以直接地知道分子的机理。 For the pressure to become zero, molecular bombardment must cease.当压强趋近于零时，分子的碰撞就停止了。
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