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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Feb 4.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2021 Oct 8;17(12):726–744. doi: 10.1038/s41574-021-00562-6

Fig. 5 |. Inter-organ communication of thermogenic adipose tissue and other tissues.

Fig. 5 |

Thermogenic adipose tissue (shown here as beige and brown adipocytes) is recognized as an endocrine organ, which can secrete several factors (pale yellow) to regulate the gene expression or functions in distant organs, such as the heart, liver, muscle and white adipose tissue. These organs, as well as the brain and gut, can also communicate to thermogenic adipose tissue through the secretion of endocrine factors (pale blue) in response to different stimulations. This inter-organ communication highlights the importance of thermogenic adipose tissue in whole-body metabolism. ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone; BAIBA, β-aminoisobutyric acid; EPDR1, ependymin-related protein 1; EVs, extracellular vesicles; FGF, fibroblast growth factor; GCs, glucocorticoids; GLP1, glucagon-like peptide 1; METRNL, meteorin-like glial cell differentiation regulator; NE, noradrenaline; NPs, natriuretic peptides; NRG4, neuregulin 4; PM20D1, peptidase M20 domain containing 1; SLIT2, slit guidance ligand 2; TGFβ2, transforming growth factor-β2; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone.