Rats, previously acclimated to 29 degrees C, were moved into the cold (4 degrees C) for 2 h. Scatchard analysis of GDP binding to the brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria of these animals showed a 2.3-fold increase in the number of high-affinity sites and a 1.5-fold increase in the number of low-affinity sites compared with binding in animals maintained at 29 degrees C. Immunochemical determination showed no increase in the amount of mitochondrial uncoupling protein during this period. This strongly suggests an unmasking of existing GDP-binding sites before a detectable increase in synthesis of uncoupling protein can occur. Washing with albumin increased the number of GDP-binding sites of brown-adipose-tissue mitochondria from both warm-housed and cold-exposed animals to the same extent. This indicates that the effects of washing with albumin and cold exposure are independent and additive.

A polyclonal antisera against rat brown adipose tissue mitochondrial uncoupling protein was used to examine mitochondrial samples from liver and white and brown adipose tissue from several mammalian species. A sodium dodecyl sulfate--polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic separation of proteins combined with an immunochemical method allowed for visualization of antigen--antibody complexes on nitrocellulose blots. Hamster, cavy, monkey, and mouse brown adipose tissue mitochondrial samples cross-reacted with the antisera. Mitochondria prepared from white fat obtained from young swine and sheep contained two closely migrating, antigenically active proteins. Hepatic mitochondria samples did not contain antigenically active protein. Reflectance densitometry was used for quantitation of the uncoupling protein in various mitochondrial samples. In rats fed diets low in protein, there appears to be a dissociation between the concentration of uncoupling protein and the number of nucleotide binding sites as given by the [3H]GDP binding assay. These results are indicative of a physiological activation of the uncoupling protein.

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