Abstract
Myostatin (MSTN) has long been recognized as a critical regulator of muscle mass. Recently, there has been increasing interest in its role in metabolism. In our study, we specifically knocked out MSTN in brown adipose tissue (BAT) from mice (MSTNΔUCP1) and found that the mice gained more weight than did controls when fed a high-fat diet, with progressive hepatosteatosis and impaired skeletal muscle activity. RNA-Seq analysis indicated signatures of mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation in the MSTN-ablated BAT. Further studies demonstrated that Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) was responsible for the metabolic phenotypes observed, whereas fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) contributed to the microenvironment communication between adipocytes and macrophages induced by the loss of MSTN. Moreover, the MSTN/SMAD2/3-p38 signaling pathway mediated the expression of KLF4 and FGF21 in adipocytes. In summary, our findings suggest that brown adipocyte–derived MSTN regulated BAT thermogenesis via autocrine and paracrine effects on adipocytes or macrophages, ultimately regulating systemic energy homeostasis.
Authors
Hui Wang, Shanshan Guo, Huanqing Gao, Jiyang Ding, Hongyun Li, Xingyu Kong, Shuang Zhang, Muyang He, Yonghao Feng, Wei Wu, Kexin Xu, Yuxuan Chen, Hanyin Zhang, Tiemin Liu, Xingxing Kong
Figure 6
KLF4 is responsible for the metabolic phenotypes induced by MSTN ablation.
Copyright © 2025 American Society for Clinical Investigation
ISSN: 0021-9738 (print), 1558-8238 (online)