Addendum to: Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08996-y Published online 21 May 2025
A study by Lee et al. (Lee, A.H. et al. Cysteine depletion triggers adipose tissue thermogenesis and weight loss. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-025-01297-8 (2025)) similarly reports a 30% weight loss upon cysteine restriction in a Cse knockout mouse model. Like our findings, they observe depletion of CoA and GSH, strong induction of FGF21, comparable changes in adipose tissue and increased lipid utilization.
Furthermore, Lee et al.’s study provides detailed mechanistic insights into adipose tissue changes, including rapid browning, metabolic shifts and signaling pathways driving these processes. This complements our work focused on the biochemical aspects of cysteine depletion by adding valuable details on the physiological responses.
In summary, the combined findings from both studies significantly enhance our understanding of the effects of cysteine depletion and its role in driving rapid weight loss.
A discussion and citation of this study now appear in the article text.
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30 July 2025
This paper was originally published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, CC-BY-NC-ND, © The Author(s). It is now available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, CC-BY, © The Author(s). The error has been corrected in the online version of the article.
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Varghese, A., Gusarov, I., Gamallo-Lana, B. et al. Addendum: Unravelling cysteine-deficiency-associated rapid weight loss. Nature 643, E16 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09282-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09282-7
