Scientists identify protein that controls fat burning timing

Researchers at University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research discovered SLC25A34, a protein controlling when brown fat burns fuel. The protein responds to body clock, cold exposure, and food signals. In mice exposed to cold for 24 hours, SLC25A34 levels jumped 90 times higher, enabling brown fat to burn fuel efficiently.

A mitochondrial transporter that is tuned by the time of day, the temperature, and what we eat raises the possibility of therapies that shift when and how the body burns fuel.