Converting More Brown Adipocytes From Resting to Active State

 描述（申请人提供）： 研究：近年来的研究表明，棕色脂肪组织活性的增强可以纠正高脂血症并预防饮食引起的肥胖及其有害的代谢后果。人们普遍认为棕色脂肪中的所有“经典”棕色脂肪细胞功能相似。该应用基于王博士最近未发表的一项发现，即正常棕色脂肪中共存有两种新的、不同的“经典”棕色脂肪细胞群，它们表现出不同的转录指纹和形态。假设它们是“活跃的”高产热棕色脂肪细胞和“静止的”低产热棕色脂肪细胞。该项目将探讨这两种棕色脂肪细胞亚群在发育过程中以及在环境和生理挑战（例如寒冷暴露和高脂肪饮食喂养）下的功能、动态和调节。通过弄清楚导致棕色脂肪细胞两个亚群之间多样性的关键调控途径，我们可以确定潜在的药物靶点来诱导棕色脂肪细胞从低产热能力向高产热能力的相互转化。同时，拟议的研究还将调查这两个亚群在成熟过程中何时出现差异。以及高脂肪饮食挑战如何损害两个亚群的相互转化。总之，拟议的研究将揭示棕色脂肪组织复杂的生理学，这对于提高我们确定针对肥胖和 II 型糖尿病的潜在最有效治疗方法的能力至关重要。职业目标：作为一名生物科学家，王博士的最终职业目标是拥有自己富有成效的学术实验室，致力于代谢研究，重点关注肥胖、2型糖尿病和相关代谢综合征的发病机制和治疗。为了能够建立自己的独立研究计划，她在奖励期内的近期职业目标是： 1）学习发育和细胞生物学领域的新技术和知识。 2）获得发育和细胞生物学方面的新知识和专业知识，这与她目前的导师不同。 3）通过发表更多的研究文章，进一步练习写作和发表稿件的技能。 4) 扩大她的同事网络，以获得潜在的合适工作机会和未来的合作。 5）为我以后的资助申请建立独立的资助记录。职业发展计划：在获奖期间，王将通过与导师Philipp Scherer博士和合作者Drs.肖恩·莫里森、拉尔夫·德贝拉迪尼斯和拉纳·古普塔。她还将完成 UTSW 提供的几门课程，为她的独立做好准备。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research: Studies over recent years revealed that an enhancement of brown adipose tissue activity can correct hyperlipidemia and prevent diet induced obesity and its harmful metabolic consequences. It has widely been assumed that all "classical" brown adipocytes in brown fat were functionally similar. This application is based on a recent unpublished discovery by Dr. Wang that there are two new, distinct, populations of "classical" brown adipocytes co-existing in normal brown fat that display distinct transcriptional fingerprints and morphology. The hypothesis is that they are "active" highly thermogenic and the "resting" low thermogenic brown adipocytes. This project will explore the function, dynamic and regulation of this two brown adipocyte subpopulations during development and under environmental and physiology challenges such as cold exposure and high fat diet feeding. By figuring out the key regulatory pathways leading to the diversity between the two subpopulations of brown adipocytes, we can identify the potential pharmaceutical targets to induce inter-conversion of brown adipocytes from low thermogenic capability to high thermogenic capability. Meanwhile, the proposed research will also investigate when the two subpopulations diverse during maturation; as well as how high fat diet challenge impairs the inter-conversion of the two subpopulations. In summary, the proposed research will unmask the complex physiology of brown adipose tissue, which is essential to improve our ability to identify the potential most effective therapeutic approaches against obesity and type II diabetes. Career goals: Dr. Wang's ultimate career goal as a biological scientist is to have her own productive academic lab devoted to metabolism research focusing on the pathogenesis and treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes and the related metabolic syndromes. To be able to establish her independent research program, her immediate career objectives in the reward period are to: 1) Learn new techniques and knowledge in the field of developmental and cell biology. 2) Acquire new knowledge and expertise in developmental and cell biology, a direction different from her current mentor. 3) Further practice the skills for writing and publishing manuscripts by publishing more research articles. 4) Expand her network of colleagues for potential well-suited job offers and future collaborations. 5) Establish an independent funding record for my future funding applications. Career development plan: During the award period, Wang will strengthen her effectiveness in the above key career objectives through constant interactions with her mentor Dr. Philipp Scherer and collaborators Drs. Sean Morrison, Ralph DeBerardinis and Rana Gupta. She will also complete several courses provided by UTSW to prepare her for the independence.