Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

An unexpected role for bile acid synthesis in adaptation to low temperature

Nature Medicine volume 23, pages 800–802 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Enhanced conversion of dietary cholesterol to bile acids through the alternative pathway leads to cold-associated, metabolically beneficial changes in the intestinal microbiome and to elevated bile acid levels that contribute to adaptive thermogenesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The BAT–liver–intestine axis contributes to microbiome modulation and adaptive thermogenesis in cold-exposed mice fed a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet.

Debbie Maizels/Springer Nature

References

  1. van Marken Lichtenbelt, W.D. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 360, 1500–1508 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Zie˛tak, M. et al. Cell Metab. 23, 1216–1223 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Watanabe, M. et al. Nature 439, 484–489 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Zietak, M. & Kozak, L.P. Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 310, E346–E354 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lefebvre, P., Cariou, B., Lien, F., Kuipers, F. & Staels, B. Physiol. Rev. 89, 147–191 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Worthmann, A. et al. Nat. Med. 23, 839–849 (2017).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Berbée, J.F. et al. Nat. Commun. 6, 6356 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Broeders, E.P. et al. Cell Metab. 22, 418–426 (2015).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Brufau, G. et al. Nutr. Metab. 7, 73 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Brufau, G. et al. Hepatology 52, 1455–1464 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Haeusler, R.A., Astiarraga, B., Camastra, S., Accili, D. & Ferrannini, E. Diabetes 62, 4184–4191 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pediatrics and Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Folkert Kuipers

  2. Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Albert K Groen

  3. Department of Vascular Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Albert K Groen

Authors
  1. Folkert Kuipers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Albert K Groen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Folkert Kuipers.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kuipers, F., Groen, A. An unexpected role for bile acid synthesis in adaptation to low temperature. Nat Med 23, 800–802 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4365

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm.4365

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing