Immunoelectron microscopical identification of the uncoupling protein in brown adipose tissue mitochondria

Abstract
The distribution of the uncoupling protein (UCP) in brown adipocyte mitochondria of the hibernant Muscardinus avellanarius was obtained by ultrastructural immunocytochemistry. In both cryosections and sections of Lowicryl-embedded material UCP was localized in the mitochondrial cristate of brown adipocytes, but not in liver mitochondria. It should now be possible to easily identify the morphology of cells committed to BAT differentiation in the tissue as well as in cell culture.