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Adopting new orphans into the family of metabolic regulators

Sarah Hummasti1, Peter Tontonoz

  • 1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Box 951662, Los Angeles, California 90095-1662, USA.

Molecular Endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.)
|February 9, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Nuclear receptors, initially known for metabolic control, are now found to have broader roles. Orphan nuclear receptors, like nuclear receptor 4As, also significantly impact metabolic pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Metabolism Research

Background:

  • Metabolite receptors like PPAR, LXR, and FXR are crucial for metabolic pathway regulation.
  • The scope of nuclear receptors involved in metabolism is expanding beyond initial understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the metabolic functions of orphan nuclear receptors.
  • To define the roles of nuclear receptor 4As, estrogen-related receptors, retinoid-related orphan receptors, and Rev-erbs in metabolic control.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and analysis of recent research findings.
  • Functional studies on orphan nuclear receptor families.

Main Results:

  • Several orphan nuclear receptors, previously uncharacterized in metabolism, exhibit significant roles.
  • Nuclear receptor 4As, estrogen-related receptors, retinoid-related orphan receptors, and Rev-erbs are implicated in metabolic regulation.

Conclusions:

  • The repertoire of nuclear receptors governing metabolic processes is larger and more complex than previously thought.
  • Orphan nuclear receptors represent a significant, yet underappreciated, component of metabolic control systems.

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