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Control of gene expression by fatty acids
Jean-Paul Pégorier1, Cédric Le May, Jean Girard
1Département d'Endocrinologie, Institut Cochin, INSERM U567, CNRS UMR8104, IFR Alfred JOST, Faculté de Médecine Cochin-Port-Royal, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, 75014 Paris, France. pegorier@cochin.inserm.fr
The Journal of Nutrition
|August 31, 2004
Summary
Dietary fatty acids regulate gene expression through hormonal-independent pathways. These molecules influence their own metabolism by interacting with nuclear receptors and transcription factors.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Dietary components, including major (glucose, fatty acids, amino acids) and minor (iron, vitamins) constituents, regulate gene expression independently of hormones.
- Fatty acids play a significant role in modulating gene expression, impacting their own metabolic pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular mechanisms by which fatty acids control the expression of genes involved in their metabolism.
- To elucidate the direct and indirect pathways through which fatty acids exert transcriptional effects.
Main Methods:
- Review of scientific literature focusing on molecular mechanisms of fatty acid-mediated gene regulation.
- Analysis of the roles of nuclear receptors (PPAR, LXR, HNF-4alpha) and transcription factors (SREBP-1c, ChREBP) in fatty acid metabolism.
Main Results:
- Nonesterified fatty acids and their CoA derivatives are key signaling molecules in the transcriptional effects of long-chain fatty acids.
- Fatty acid effects are mediated directly via binding to nuclear receptors, altering their trans-activating activity.
- Indirect mediation occurs through changes in the abundance of regulatory transcription factors.
Conclusions:
- Fatty acids are crucial regulators of genes involved in their own metabolism through both direct and indirect molecular mechanisms.
- Understanding these pathways is vital for comprehending nutrient-gene interactions and metabolic regulation.