Contents
Vol 11, Issue 527
Focus
- Parkin mediates mitophagy during beige-to-white fat conversion
Blocking Parkin-mediated mitophagy may help beige fat retain its thermogenic properties (Lu et al., in 24 April 2018 issue).
- Transient inflammatory signaling promotes beige adipogenesis
Beige adipogenesis triggered by β3-adrenergic–induced lipolysis requires Jak signaling to suppress TGFβ signaling (Babaei et al., in 24 April 2018 issue).
Research Articles
- Mitophagy controls beige adipocyte maintenance through a Parkin-dependent and UCP1-independent mechanism
Parkin-mediated mitophagy reverses the browning of white adipose tissue.
- Jak-TGFβ cross-talk links transient adipose tissue inflammation to beige adipogenesis
Transient inflammation in adipose tissue triggers Jak-TGFβ signaling to promote beige adipocyte differentiation.
- A defect in KCa3.1 channel activity limits the ability of CD8+ T cells from cancer patients to infiltrate an adenosine-rich microenvironment
Adenosine strongly inhibits the migration of T cells from cancer patients due to reduced KCa3.1 K+ channel activity.
Editors' Choice
- New connections: Ewing’s sarcoma’s driver is its Achilles’ heel
Several studies identify drug combinations that target or exploit the EWS-FLI1 fusion protein to kill Ewing’s sarcoma cells.
About The Cover

Online Cover This week features two studies on the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation and maintenance of beige fat, an inducible form of adipose tissue that burns energy as heat. The issue includes a Research Article (see also the associated Focus) that describes how transient inflammation in white adipose tissue triggers cross-talk between the Jak and TGF-β signaling that promotes beige adipocyte differentiation. The issue also includes a Research Article (see also the associated Focus) that reveals how PKA-mediated phosphorylation of Parkin induced by β3-adrenergic receptor signaling prevents the autophagic clearance of mitochondria that reverses browning of white adipose tissue. The image shows a heat map of an adult male, highlighting the potential locations of thermogenically active tissues such as beige fat. [Image: Valery Lisin/shutterstock.com]