UCP1 and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Alpha-KG not only increases the expression of thermogenic genes (i.e., Ucp1, Dio2, and Cidea) in the BAT, but also enhances lipolysis in the WATs through OXGR1-dependent adrenal activation, and as a result, administration of exogenous α-KG prevents HFD-induced obesity in mice 34.