Thermogenin

<p>Thermogenin (called <a href="/facts/Uncoupling_protein/xWzlSmVm">uncoupling protein</a> by its discoverers and now known as uncoupling protein 1, or UCP1) is a <a href="/facts/Mitochondrial_carrier/FI8nGR8s">mitochondrial carrier</a> protein found in <a href="/facts/Brown_adipose_tissue/ut8P9TLS">brown adipose tissue</a> (BAT). It is used to generate heat by non-shivering <a href="/facts/Thermogenesis/aA6HD0At">thermogenesis</a>, and makes a quantitatively important contribution to countering heat loss in babies which would otherwise occur due to their high surface area-volume ratio. Recent findings indicate that the UCP1 protein plays a crucial role in thermogenesis by catalyzing the dissipative production of heat through protons derived from NADH and FADH2. These electron carriers are produced in the TCA cycle from the oxidation of acetyl-CoA, which comes from the breakdown of free fatty acids. Intriguingly, the acetyl-CoA products undergo a recycling process that facilitates their re-utilization, thereby sustaining the cycle known as the HEAT cycle .
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Thermogenin open-in-new

Thermogenin