How Tilapia Expend Their Energy

Andre Seale (HNFAS) co-authored a recent study on fish endocrinology, “Leptin Stimulates Cellular Glycolysis Through a STAT3-Dependent Mechanism in Tilapia,” published in Frontiers of Endocrinology. As the paper’s abstract explains, the study looked at tilapia to assess whether leptin, a cytokine hormone that enhances energy expenditure by promoting lipid and carbohydrate catabolism in response to physiologic stress, might directly regulate cellular glycolysis. The researchers discovered that leptin stimulates PFK activity and glycolytic output, while Stattic (a STAT3 blocker) suppressed these responses, indicating that leptin stimulates glycolysis through a STAT3-dependent mechanism. Leptin also stimulated pfk1 gene expression and lactate production. Find out more here!