Function of uncoupling protein 2 in the brain

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), discovered in 1997 and named UCP2 because of its homology of sequence (58%) with UCP1 (the archetypical UCP), has been reported in recent years to be involved in many biological functions, which have yet to be fully unravelled. In contrast to UCP1, a thermogenic protein found in brown adipose tissue, UCP2 is expressed in several tissues where it does not exert a thermogenic function. One probable function of UCP2 is the control of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which tends to confer a role for this protein in the ROS-induced cellular damages observed during inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. It is expressed in humans and one of its striking features is that it is distributed in the brain in a pattern forecasting neuroendocrine, behavioural, autonomic and neuroprotective functions. Recent studies have brought the focus on the role that brain UCP2 can play in energy homeostasis and neuroprotection.