In a new study by Nan, Gao Xiang's research team from the Institute of Model Animals of Nanjing University revealed a new function of the SCF/Kit signaling pathway, which regulates the role of mitochondria and affects cell proliferation and metabolism. It proposes a new method to treat the disease.
Stem cell factor (SCF) and its receptor (Kit) play an important role in the survival and growth of various cells. The author of this article found that after feeding and cold stimulation, the expression of SCF and kits in fat changed, and this change also occurred in obese mice and humans. The authors also found that mutant mice without the kit function showed reduced energy expenditure and were therefore obese. Further studies have shown that this phenotype is caused by decreased expression of PGC1a in brown fat and skeletal muscle of mice and decreased mitochondrial function. The function of mitochondria is to provide energy for cell proliferation. In contrast, overexpression of the kit-binding factor SCF in mice increases body temperature and reduces body weight.
This study revealed the new function of the SCF/Kit signaling pathway to regulate the action of mitochondria, and proposed a new method to affect cell growth and treat metabolic abnormalities. The research on this subject is funded by the National Basic Science Research Program (2011CB944104) and the National Science and Technology Support Program (2011BAI15B02 and 2012BAI39B01).