Existing controversies led us to analyze absolute mRNA levels of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins (UCP1-UCP5). Individual UCP isoform mRNA levels varied by up to four orders of magnitude in rat and mouse tissues. UCP2 mRNA content was relatively high (0.4 to 0.8 pg per 10 ng of total mRNA) in rat spleen, rat and mouse lung, and rat heart. Levels of the same order of magnitude were found for UCP3 mRNA in rat and mouse skeletal muscle, for UCP4 and UCP5 mRNA in mouse brain, and for UCP2 and UCP5 mRNA in mouse white adipose tissue. Significant differences in pattern were found for rat vs. mouse tissues, such as the dominance of UCP3/UCP5 vs. UCP2 transcript in mouse heart and vice versa in rat heart; or UCP2 (UCP5) dominance in rat brain contrary to 10-fold higher UCP4 and UCP5 dominance in mouse brain. We predict high antioxidant/antiapoptotic UCP function in tissues with higher UCP mRNA content.

• MeSH
• DNA Primers genetics   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Ion Channels metabolism   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Membrane Transport Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• RNA, Messenger metabolism   MeSH
• Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins MeSH
• Mitochondrial Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• Brain metabolism   MeSH
• Myocardium metabolism   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Lung metabolism   MeSH
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Nerve Tissue Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• Spleen metabolism   MeSH
• Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins MeSH
• Uncoupling Protein 2 MeSH
• Uncoupling Protein 3 MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Comparative Study MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA Primers MeSH
• Ion Channels MeSH
• Membrane Transport Proteins MeSH
• RNA, Messenger MeSH
• Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins MeSH
• Mitochondrial Proteins MeSH
• Nerve Tissue Proteins MeSH
• Slc25a14 protein, rat MeSH Browser
• Slc25a27 protein, rat MeSH Browser
• Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins MeSH
• Ucp2 protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• Ucp2 protein, rat MeSH Browser
• Ucp3 protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• Ucp3 protein, rat MeSH Browser
• Uncoupling Protein 2 MeSH
• Uncoupling Protein 3 MeSH