Abstract: The function and structure of brown adipocytes are quite different from white adipose adipocytes,brown adipocytes are rich in mitochondria.It is able to utilize excess energy metabolism substrates for thermogenesis.It is the main source of heat for non-shivering thermogenesis in young mammals,and it also plays an important role in maintaining the body’s energy balance.The thermogenesis process is mediated by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) on the inner membrane of cell mitochondria,and both the body’s environment and its response to hormones can affect the activity of brown adipose tissue.Upon stimulation,adrenergic receptors on the surface of brown adipocytes are activated,triggering an intracellular cascade that simultaneously enhances the expression of genes involved in thermogenesis,increases energy expenditure,and decreases fat deposition.Brown adipose tissue has become a potential therapeutic target for obesity and energy metabolism-related diseases.In view of the role of brown adipose tissue in fat deposition and energy metabolism,the research on brown adipose tissue in livestock and poultry is also more and more in-depth.The author summarized the relevant studies on ovine brown fat,mainly include environmental factors that affect the activity of ovine brown fat such as cold stimulation,nutrient restriction,chronic hypoxia and feeding additives,and hormonal factors (prolactin and its receptors,thyroid hormones,leptin,reproductive hormones),in order to provide a certain theoretical basis for the application of ovine thermogenic fat.

Key words: brown adipose tissue; uncoulpling protein 1 (UCP1); thermogenesis; energy metabolism