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Key Publications

  • Auger C, Nishida H, Yuan B, Martins Silva G, Fujimoto M, Li M, Katoh D, Wang D, Granath-Panelo M, Shin J, Witte R, Yook JS, Verkerke A.R.P, Banks A.S, Hui S, Sun L, Kajimura S. Mitochondrial control of fuel switching via carnitine biosynthesis. Science 2026; 391(6786):eady5532. PMID: 41505503 
  • Yamamuro T, Katoh K, Martins Silva G, Nishida H, Oikawa S, Higuchi Y, Wang D, Fujimoto M, Yoshida N, Li M, Shin J, Zhao Z, Yook JS, Sun L, Kajimura S. Mitochondrial control of glycerolipid synthesis by a PEP shuttle. Cell 2026; 189 (10), 1-16. PMID: 41446167
  • Wang D, Li M, Lu T, Matsushita M, Sakai J, Saito M, Yoneshiro T, and Kajimura S. Brown fat protects against hepatic oxidative stress by remodeling the circulating metabolome. Cell Metabolism 2026; S1550-4131(26)00246-9. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2026.06.020. PMID: 42447865          
  • Oikawa, S, Yamamuro T, Nishida H, Katoh D, Wang D, Fujimot M, and Kajimura S. Mitochondrial control of amino acid catabolism by a fasting-inducible mitochondrial carrier. Science Advances 2026; 12(31):eaef0140. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aef0140. PMID: 42536745
  • Auger C, Li M, Fujimoto M, Ikeda K, Yook JS, O'Leary TR, Caycedo MPH, Xiaohan C, Oikawa S, Verkerke ARP, Shinoda K, Griffin PR, Inaba K, Stimson RH, Kajimura S. Identification of a molecular resistor that controls UCP1-independent Ca2+ cycling thermogenesis in adipose tissue. Cell Metabolism 2025; S1550-4131(25)00112-3.  PMID: 40199326
  • Verkerke ARP, Wang D, Yoshida N, Taxin ZH, Shi X, Zheng S, Li Y, Auger C, Oikawa S, Yook, JS, Granath-Panelo M, He W, Zhang GH, Matsushita M, Saito M, Gerszten RE, Mills EL, Banks AS, Ishihama Y, White PJ, McGarrah RW, Yoneshiro T, and Kajimura S. BCAA nitrogen flux in brown fat controls metabolic health independent of thermogenesis. Cell 2024; 187(10):2359-2374. PMID: 38653240. PMC11145561.   
  • Verkerke ARP, Shi X, Li M, Higuchi Y, Yamamuro T, Katoh D, Nishida H, Auger C, Abe I, Gerszten RE, and Kajimura S. (2024) SLC25A48 controls mitochondrial choline import and metabolism. Cell Metabolism 2024; 36(9):2156-2166. PMID: 39111307. [Landmark Cell Metabolism: Mitochondria in Cell Press]
  • Yook JS, Taxin ZH, Yuan B, Oikawa S, Auger C, Mutlu B, Puigserver P, Hui S, and Kajimura S.  The SLC25A47 locus controls gluconeogenesis and energy expenditure. PNAS 2023; 120(9): e2216810120. PMID: 36812201. PMC9992842.
  • Wang Q, Li H, Tajima K, Verkerke ARP, Taxin ZH, Hou Z, Cole JB, Li F, Wong J, Abe I, Pradhan RN, Yamamuro T, Yoneshiro T, Hirschhorn JN, and Kajimura S. Post-translational control of beige fat biogenesis via PRDM16 stabilization. Nature 2022; 609(7925):151-158. PMID: 35978186. PMC9433319. 
  • Oguri Y, Shinoda K, Kim H, Alba DL, Bolus WR, Wang Q, Brown Z, Pradhan RN, Tajima K, Yoneshiro T, Ikeda K, Chen C, Cheang RT, Tsujino K, Kim, CR, Greiner VJ, Datta R, Yang C, Atabai K, McManus MT, Koliwad S, Spiegelman BM, and Kajimura S. CD81 controls beige fat progenitor cell growth and energy balance via FAK signaling. Cell 2020; S0092-8674(20)30753-4. PMID: 32615086. PMC7415677.   
  • Abe I, Oguri Y, Verkerke ARP, Monteiro LB, Knuth CM, Auger C, Qiu Y, Westcott GP, Cinti S, Shinoda K, Jeschke MG, and Kajimura S. Lipolysis-derived linoleic acid drives beige fat progenitor cell proliferation. Developmental Cell 2022; 57(23):2623-2637. PMID: 36473459. PMC9875052.
  • Yoneshiro T, Wang Q, Tajima K, Matsushita M, Maki H, Igarashi K, Dai Z, White PJ, McGarrah RW, Ilkayeva O, Deleye Y, Oguri Y, Kuroda M, Ikeda K, Li H, Ueno A, Ohishi M, Ishikawa T, Kim K, Chen Y, Sponton CH, Pradhan RN, Majd H, Greiner VJ, Yoneshiro M, Brown Z, Chondronikola M, Takahashi H, Goto T, Kawada T, Sidossis L, Szoka FC, McManus MT, Saito M, Soga T, and Kajimura S. BCAA catabolism in brown fat controls energy homeostasis through SLC25A44. Nature 2019; 572(7771):614-619. PMID: 31435015. PMC6715529. 
  • Chen Y, Ikeda K, Yoneshiro T, Scaramozza A, Tajima K, Wang Q, Kim K, Shinoda K, Sponton CH, Brown Z, Brack A, and Kajimura S. Thermal stress induces glycolytic beige fat formation via a myogenic state. Nature 2019; 565(7738):180-185. PMID: 30568302. PMC6328316. 
  • Tajima K, Ikeda K, Tanabe Y, Thomson EA, Yoneshiro T, Oguri Y, Ferro M, Poon ASY, and Kajimura S. Wireless optogenetics protects against obesity via stimulation of non-canonical fat thermogenesis. Nature Communications 2020; 11(1):1730. PMID: 32265443. PMC7138828.
  • Sponton CH, Hosono T, Taura J, Jedrychowski MP, Takahashi M, Matsui Y, Ikeda K, Yoneshiro T, Shinoda K, Pradhan R, Wang Q, Chen Y, Brown Z, Roberts LS, Ward CC, Taoka H, Yokoyama Y, Watanabe M, Karasawa H, Nomura DK, and Kajimura S. The regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis via PLTP as a mediator of BAT-liver communication. EMBO Reports 2020; Sep 3; 21(9): e49828. PMID: 32672883. PMC7507062. [Cover article]
  • Tajima K, Ikeda K, Chang HY, Chang CH, Yoneshiro T, Oguri Y, Jun H, Wu J, Ishihama Y, and Kajimura S. Mitochondrial lipoylation integrates age-associated decline in brown fat thermogenesis. Nature Metabolism 2019; (1):886–898. PMID: 32313871. PMC7169975.
  • Yoneshiro T, Kataoka N, Walejko JM, Ikeda K, Brown Z, Yoneshiro M, Crown SB, McGarrah RW, White PJ, Nakamura K, and Kajimura S. Metabolic flexibility via mitochondrial BCAA carrier SLC25A44 is required for optimal fever. eLife 2021; May 4;10:e66865. PMID: 33944778.  PMC8137140.
  • Hasegawa Y, Ikeda K, Chen Y, Alba DL, Stifler D, Shinoda K, Hosono T, Maretich P, Yang Y, Ishigaki Y, Chi J, Cohen P, Koliwad SK, and Kajimura S. Repression of adipose tissue fibrosis through a PRDM16-GTF2IRD1 complex improves systemic glucose homeostasis. Cell Metabolism 2018; 27(1):180-194.e6. PMID: 29320702. PMC5765755. 
  • Lu X, Altshuler-Keylin S, Wang Q, Chen Y, Henrique Sponton C, Ikeda K, Maretich P, Yoneshiro T, and Kajimura S. Mitophagy controls beige adipocyte maintenance through a Parkin-dependent and UCP1-independent mechanism. Science Signaling 2018; 11(527). PMID: 29692364. PMC6410368. 
  • Ikeda K, Kang Q, Yoneshiro T, Camporez JP, Maki H, Homma M, Shinoda K, Chen Y, Lu X, Maretich P, Tajima K, Ajuwon KM, Soga T, and Kajimura S. UCP1-independent signaling involving SERCA2b-mediated calcium cycling regulates beige fat thermogenesis and systemic glucose homeostasis. Nature Medicine 2017; Dec; 23(12):1454-1465. PMID: 29131158. PMC5727902. 
  • Altshuler-Keylin S, Shinoda K, Hasegawa Y, Ikeda K, Hong H, Kang Q, Yang Y, Perera RM, Debnath J, and Kajimura S. Beige adipocyte maintenance is regulated by autophagy-induced mitochondrial clearance. Cell Metabolism 2016; Aug 24. PMID: 27568548. PMC5023491. 
  • Chondronikola M, Volpi E, Børsheim E, Porter C, Saraf MK, Annamalai P, Yfanti C, Chao T, Wong D, Shinoda K, Labbe SM, Hurren NM, Cesani F, Kajimura S, and Sidossis LS. Brown adipose tissue activation is linked to distinct systemic effects on lipid metabolism in humans. Cell Metabolism 2016; Jun 14; 23(6):1200-6. PMID: 27238638. PMC4967557. 
  • Ohyama K, Nogusa Y, Shinoda K, Suzuki K, Bannai M, and Kajimura S. A synergistic anti-obesity effect by a combination of capsinoids and cold temperature through promoting beige adipocyte biogenesis. Diabetes 2016; May; 65(5):1410-23. PMID: 26936964. PMC4839206. 
  • Shinoda K, Luijten IH, Hasegawa Y, Hong H, Sonne SB, Kim M, Xue R, Chondronikola M, Cypess AM, Tseng YH, Nedergaard J, Sidossis LS, and Kajimura S. Genetic and functional characterization of clonally derived adult human brown adipocytes. Nature Medicine 2015; Apr; 21(4):389-94. PMID: 25774848. PMC4427356. 
  • Shinoda K, Ohyama K, Hasegawa Y, Chang H-Y, Ogura M, Sato A, Hong H, Hosono T, Sharp LZ, Scheel DW, Graham M, Ishihama Y, and Kajimura S. Phosphoproteomics identifies CK2 as a negative regulator of beige adipocyte thermogenesis and energy expenditure. Cell Metabolism 2015; Dec 1; 22(6):997-1008. PMID: 26525534. PMC4670581. 
  • Galmozzi A, Sonne SB, Altshuler-Keylin S, Hasegawa Y, Shinoda K, Luijten IH, Chang JW, Sharp LZ, Cravatt BF, Saez E, and Kajimura S. ThermoMouse: An In vivo model to identify modulators of UCP1 expression in brown adipose tissue. Cell Reports 2014; Dec 11; 9(5):1584-93. PMID: 25466254. PMC4268417 
  • Ohno H, Shinoda K, Ohyama K, Sharp LZ, and Kajimura S. EHMT1 controls brown adipose cell fate and thermogenesis through the PRDM16 complex. Nature 2013; Dec 5; 504(7478):163-7. PMID: 24196706. PMC3855638. 
  • Sharp LZ, Shinoda K, Ohno H, Scheel DW, Tomoda E, Ruiz L, Hu H, Wang L, Pavlova Z, Gilsanz V, and Kajimura S. Human BAT possesses molecular signatures that resemble beige/brite cells. PLOS One 2012; 7(11): e49452. PMID: 23166672. PMC3500293. 
  • Ohno H, Shinoda K, Spiegelman BM, and Kajimura S. PPARγ agonists induce a white-to-brown fat conversion through stabilization of PRDM16 protein. Cell Metabolism 2012; Mar 7; 15(3):395-404. PMID: 22405074. PMC3410936.