This article is available online at http://www.jlr.org Classic interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a thermogenic organ that has a high capacity for uncoupled oxidative metabolism ( 1 ). In contrast, white adipose tissue (WAT) has low oxidative capacity because its main function under normal conditions is to store excess energy as TGs. However, chronic stimulation by  3-adrenergic receptors (  3-ARs) expands the oxidative capacity of WAT and converts it into a tissue resembling BAT. This phenomenon has been termed "browning" of white fat ( 2-4 ) and is marked by increased expression of oxidative genes, induction of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), and activation of oxidative metabolism ( 5 ). Importantly, lipolysis plays a central role in the catabolic activity of BAT and WAT. Acutely, mobilized FAs uncouple oxidative phosphorylation and provide fuel that supports both coupled and uncoupled respiration ( 6 ). Lipolysis also provides ligands for PPAR ␣ , which plays a central role in catabolic remodeling of WAT by upregulating oxidative metabolism and limiting FA-induced infl ammation ( 7,8 ). Indeed, several recent studies have demonstrated the importance of lipolysis in providing ligands for activation of PPAR target genes in BAT ( 9, 10 ), heart ( 11 ), liver ( 12, 13 ), and pancreatic  cells ( 14 ).Abstract Chronic activation of  3-adrenergic receptors (  3-ARs) expands the catabolic activity of both brown and white adipose tissue by engaging uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-dependent and UCP1-independent processes. The present work examined de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and TG/glycerol dynamics in classic brown, subcutaneous "beige," and classic white adipose tissues during sustained  3-AR activation by CL 316,243 (CL) and also addressed the contribution of TG hydrolysis to these dynamics. CL treatment for 7 days dramatically increased DNL and TG turnover similarly in all adipose depots, despite great differences in UCP1 abundance. Increased lipid turnover was accompanied by the simultaneous upregulation of genes involved in FAS, glycerol metabolism, and FA oxidation. Inducible, adipocyte-specifi c deletion of adipose TG lipase (ATGL), the rate-limiting enzyme for lipolysis, demonstrates that TG hydrolysis is required for CL-induced increases in DNL, TG turnover, and mitochondrial electron transport in all depots. Interestingly, the effect of ATGL deletion on induction of specifi c genes involved in FA oxidation and synthesis varied among fat depots. Overall, these studies indicate that FAS and FA oxidation are tightly coupled in adipose tissues during chronic adrenergic activation, and this effect critically depends on the activity of adipocyte ATGL. -