Conclusion
These findings suggest that miPEP deletion initiates a compensatory increase in skeletal muscle metabolism acting as a protective mechanism against diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.
Methods
To experimentally test this observation, we generated adipocyte-specific miPEP knockout mice to interrogate its role in the aetiology of insulin resistance.
Objective
To determine the role of miPEP in insulin resistance.
Results
We observed a strong phenotype characterised by enhanced insulin sensitivity and reduced adiposity, despite normal food intake and physical activity. Strikingly, these phenotypes vanished when mice were housed at thermoneutrality, suggesting that metabolic protection conferred by miPEP deletion hinges upon a thermoregulatory process. Tissue specific analysis of miPEP deficient mice revealed an increment in muscle metabolism, and upregulation of the protein FBP2 that is involved in ATP hydrolysis in the gluconeogenic pathway.