Rat study maps gene and protein shifts in brown fat during cold acclimatization

Researchers have combined transcriptome and proteome profiling of brown adipose tissue in rats exposed to intermittent cold, identifying thousands of molecular changes that accompany cold acclimatization. The study, published in BMC Genomics, set out to find potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cold adaptation by analyzing differentially expressed genes and proteins in brown fat alongside blood-based glucometabolic markers.

In the experiment, male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent intermittent cold exposure, after which blood and brown and white adipose tissue samples were collected at 21 days. High-throughput mRNA transcriptome sequencing and tandem mass tag (TMT) mass spectrometry were used to identify differentially expressed genes and proteins in brown adipose tissue. Transcriptome analysis revealed 2031 differentially expressed genes, of which 344 were upregulated and 1687 downregulated. Proteomic mass spectrometry identified 376 differentially expressed proteins, comprising 217 upregulated and 159 downregulated proteins. Integrated analysis of the two datasets uncovered 13 synergistically upregulated genes and 11 synergistically downregulated genes.

Functional enrichment analyses pointed to distinct biological themes on each side of the expression balance. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that the upregulated genes predominantly clustered in fatty acid metabolism processes and PPAR signaling pathways, while the downregulated genes were enriched in pathways governing adipocyte lipolysis regulation. This pattern suggests a coordinated reorganization of fat handling in brown adipose tissue as the animals acclimatize to repeated cold exposure, with lipid metabolism and signaling through PPAR emerging as central features of the response.

Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis highlighted five molecules that may play pivotal roles in brown adipose tissue metabolism: Lpl, Plin1, Ckb, Fabp3, and Ldha. The authors conclude that the study reveals expression alterations in multiple genes within brown adipose tissue during rat cold adaptation, and that these genes may collectively regulate cold adaptation responses in physiological processes involving fat metabolism, conversion, and energy balance. As an animal study based on a single exposure paradigm and sampling time point, the findings describe molecular associations in rats rather than demonstrated clinical benefits, and the identified genes would require further validation as biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

Subject of Research: Transcriptomic and proteomic changes in brown adipose tissue of rats during cold acclimatization

Article Title: Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of gene expression changes in brown adipose tissue during cold acclimatization in rats

Article References: Yang, Y., Chen, S., Chen, L., Ma, W., Wang, Y., Wang, L., Li, K., Ran, J., & Shi, Q. (2026). Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of gene expression changes in brown adipose tissue during cold acclimatization in rats. BMC Genomics. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-026-13382-7

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12864-026-13382-7

Keywords: brown adipose tissue, cold acclimatization, transcriptomics, proteomics, rats, PPAR signaling, fatty acid metabolism, differentially expressed genes, TMT mass spectrometry, protein-protein interaction network, Integrated, transcriptomic