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ADIPOSE TISSUE

The genesis of brown fat—a smooth muscle origin story revisited

Brown adipose tissue acquires increased thermogenic capacity with prolonged cold exposure through de novo recruitment of brown adipocytes. Studies by Shamsi et al. and Angueira et al. identify novel cellular origins of cold-induced brown adipocytes and further elucidate the molecular mechanism regulating the expansion of brown adipose tissue.

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Fig. 1: The cellular mechanism of brown adipogenesis.

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Correspondence to Kosaku Shinoda.

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Deutsch, A., Shinoda, K. The genesis of brown fat—a smooth muscle origin story revisited. Nat Metab 3, 449–450 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00376-w

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