Methionine restriction (MR) prevents obesity because of a futile lipid cycle in which two metabolic pathways run simultaneously in opposite directions and have no overall effect other than to dissipate energy in the form of heat. In this study, we show that MR promotes weight loss not just by this futile lipid cycle, but also by a coordinated response that involves apoptosis (normal cell death) and autophagy (a metabolic process by which the body consumes its own tissue) to maintain physiological equilibrium.
It has been observed that the hormones adiponectin and fibroblast growth factor 21 are consistently elevated during MR. To clearly define the roles of ADIPOQ and FGF21 during MR, we used mice that lacked either or both hormones. The obese mice, once placed on an MR diet, lost weight regardless of the presence of these hormones, demonstrating that neither is essential to reduce fat during MR.
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Cooke, D., Mattocks, D., Nichenametla, S. N., Anunciado‐Koza, R. P., Koza, R. A., & Ables, G. P. (2020). Weight Loss and Concomitant Adipose Autophagy in Methionine‐Restricted Obese Mice is Not Dependent on Adiponectin or FGF21. Obesity.
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