Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is a unique mitochondrial membranous protein expressed in brown adipose tissue (BAT) in mammals. While its expression in response to cold temperatures and adipogenic inducers is well-characterized in mammals and human infants, the molecular characterization and expression of UCP1 in fish remain unexplored. To address this gap, we analyzed UCP1 expression in response to adipogenic inducers in a fish cell line, rainbow trout gonadal cells (RTG-2), and compared it with UCP1 expression in three mammalian preadipocytes, 3T3-L1, T37i, and WT1 exposed to the Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists, rosiglitazone (Rosi). In mammalian preadipocytes, UCP1 protein was highly expressed by Rosi, with an induction of adipogenesis observed in a time-dependent manner. This suggests that UCP1 plays a significant role in adipogenesis in mammals. However, RTG-2 cells showed no response to adipogenic inducers and exhibited only marginal expressions of UCP1. These results imply that RTG-2 cells may lack crucial responsive mechanisms to adipogenic signals or that the adipogenic response is regulated by other mechanisms. Further studies are needed to confirm these phenomena in fish preadipocytes when an appropriate cell line is established in future research.

• Sang-Eun Nam(Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea)
• Young-Joo Yun(Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea)
• Jae-Sung Rhee(Department of Marine Science, College of Natural Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea, Research Institute of Basic Sciences, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Korea)
• Hyoung Sook Park(Department of Song-Do Biological Engineering, Incheon Jaeneung University, Incheon 21987, Korea) Corresponding author