islet contains an average of 1,500 cells, including beta-, alpha- and delta-cells, which produce and secrete insulin (INS), glucagon (GCG), and somatostatin (SST) respectively. The destruction of insulin-producing [...] logy of diabetes has been extensively studied and beta-cell biology is now described in great details. Glucose is taken up by beta-cells, metabolized and generates an increase in the intracellular ATP:ADP [...] primarily composed of exocrine tissue, which secretes digestive enzymes into the digestive tract, and an endocrine component organized into small clusters known as islets of Langerhans, constituting a

obesity. We used male and female Non-Swiss albino mice to investigate the impact of short and long-term high-fat diet-(HFD)-induced obesity on the peripheral neuromuscular junction (NMJ) and whether obesity-related [...] of acetylcholine receptor number and density at neuromuscular junctions, and high resolution confocal microscope to study structural alterations in both the pre- and postsynaptic apparatus. Results Time-lapse [...] reversible after switching obese mice from HFD to a standard fat diet (SD). Methods HFD-induced obese and age-matched control mice fed SD were used. We carried out in vivo time lapse imaging to monitor changes

surged to unprecedented levels, primarily driven by agricultural and industrial advancements in the production of sweeteners such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This increased fructose intake [...] contributed significantly to the escalating prevalence of obesity and associated metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

various physiological processes such as cell death and survival. However, the role of hepatic c-Jun in whole-body metabolism is poorly understood. Xiao, Guo, and colleagues found that hepatic c-Jun regulates [...] factor 21 and modulates body temperature through neural signaling. This study provides new insights into the crosstalk between different tissues in the regulation of whole-body metabolism and the trans

important regulators of brown and beige adipocyte differentiation and function. The microRNA miR-203 is enriched in brown fat. Guo et al. studied the role of miR-203 in vivo and found that upregulation of [...] also provide mechanistic insights that the cAMP-miR-203-IFN-γ network regulates inflammation response and white adipose tissue browning.

Story Maternal nutrition exerts profound and lasting effects on infant development, with implications extending beyond somatic growth to long-term brain function and metabolic health. For example, newborns [...] isoleucine, and valine—have emerged as potent modulators of metabolic health in human adults. Elevated circulating BCAAs are among the most accurate predictors of future insulin resistance (IR) and T2D, with [...] However, the extent to which maternal BCAA overnutrition during gestation and lactation impacts offspring metabolic programming and predisposes to dysfunction remains unclear. Full text All Articles

modifications , and vesicular trafficking. The precise function of an individual lipid is determined by both its acyl composition and subcellular localization. However, in contrast to DNA and proteins , there [...] according to their fatty acyl structures and pathways of biosynthesis, including glycerol lipids, phospholipids , sterol lipids, sphingolipids , prenol lipids, and saccharolipids. Lipids are highly organized [...] which makes it very difficult to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of a given lipid molecule and to answer the key question as to when a lipid molecule performs each of its functions within a live

that has various impacts on the physiology and health of all animals, including humans. Mice are currently the most widely used animal model for human disease and fundamental biology. Therefore, it is important [...] they conclude that 25.5 °C to 27.6 °C may be optimal for solitary housed mice and discuss this in the light of suggestions and results from other groups. [...] best mimics everyday human conditions; however, which temperature to choose is not trivial. Keijer and colleagues studied the oxygen consumption of C57BL/6 mice measured across the range of temperatures

2021 Cover Story AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a ubiquitously expressed and highly conserved multisubstrate serine and threonine kinase. It is often referred to as an energy sensor of the cell, as [...] AMPK is a heterotrimeric protein complex consisting of one α-, β-, and γ-subunit. The α-subunit includes the kinase domain, while the β- and γ-subunits are regulatory in function. Full text All Articles

caloric restriction (CR) extends health and lifespan in experimental models and likely also in humans. However, long-term adherence to this ascetic regimen is difficult, and chronic CR is not feasible to implement [...] restriction rather than calorie restriction per se might underlie the anti-aging effects of CR diets, Li and colleagues tested a periodized low protein high carbohydrate diet regimen. They found some potent metabolic

which is associated with dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and T2D. Kerr and colleagues tested whether WAT morphology is epigenetically regulated and performed CpG-methylome profiling on abdominal subcutaneous [...] White adipose tissue (WAT) expands by increasing adipocyte number (hyperplasia) and size (hypertrophy). Their relative importance differs between individuals resulting in alternate adipose morphologies

intake and energy expenditure. Leptin receptor deficient (db/db) mice suffer from fat accumulation, massive obesity, and the development of diabetes due to excessive food intake. Piattini, Le Foll, and colleagues [...] ness to leptin in homozygous mutants resulted in differences in the control of energy expenditure and the severity of diabetes compared to db/db mice, although the development of obesity was comparable

dysfunction and eventual loss of pancreatic β cells. An important class of factors that regulate gene expression programs is RNA binding proteins (RBPs), which may be involved in splicing, translation, and RNA [...] stability. Good and colleagues studied the RBP hnRNPK. By focusing on the post-transcriptional regulation of the mRNA encoding JUND, a transcription factor with links to β cell redox homeostasis and apoptosis

Phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is a dual protein and lipid phosphatase that is a a potent regulator of cellular growth, survival, and insulin mediated glucose uptake [...] in an individual fat depot to investigate how PTEN modulates fat depot distribution in adult mouse and discovered a PTEN-leptin-sympathetic signaling loop that regulates adipose redistribution.

is rich in mitochondria and promotes non-shivering thermogenesis by expressing the uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). Unlike white adipose tissue, it burns calories to produce heat and therefore plays a key role [...] BAT activation leading to the upregulation of thermogenic gene program and adrenergic receptor-mediated activation of lipolysis and metabolism. BAT activation also occurs post-prandially, especially after [...] during chronic overfeeding, a phenomenon that was termed adaptive thermogenesis, and is believed to further drive weight gain and obesity. Full text All Articles