Adipose Carbonylation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

This chapter describes oxidative stress in adipose tissue, its linkage to protein carbonylation, and the current methods used to detect and analyze carbonylated proteins as well as provides a comprehensive evaluation of known proteins and pathways that are targets of these modifications in adipose biology. Although the term oxidative stress encompasses many forms of reactive oxidants, the production and signaling mechanisms of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are the best characterized and are the focus of the chapter. The chapter briefly discusses techniques that have been used successfully to assess carbonylation in adipose tissue or cultured adipocytes. It focuses on the major findings in adipose tissue, though it is prudent to note that many of these findings are relevant to other cell types and diseased states as well. Many of the proteomic studies in adipose and other tissues have focused on mitochondrial targets of 4-hydroxy trans 2,3 nonenal modification.