Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Cell Type-specific Gene Expression Profiling in the Mouse Liver
Published on: September 17, 2019
α(1)-Fetoprotein Transcription Factor (FTF)/Liver Receptor Homolog-1 (LRH-1) Is an Essential Lipogenic Regulator
Zhumei Xu1, Lingli Ouyang, Antonio Del Castillo-Olivares
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0614, USA.
Abstract:
α(1)-Fetoprotein transcription factor (FTF), also known as liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH-1) is highly expressed in liver and intestine, where it is implicated in the regulation of cholesterol, bile acid and steroid hormone homeostasis. FTF is an important regulator of bile acid metabolism. We show here that FTF plays a key regulatory role in lipid homeostasis including triglyceride and cholesterol homeostasis. FTF deficient mice developed lower levels of serum triglyceride and cholesterol as a result of lower expression of several hepatic FTF target genes. Chenodeoxycholic acid repressed FTF expression resulting in a decrease in serum triglyceride in wild-type mice. The absence of chenodeoxycholic acid-mediated repression in FTF(+/-) mice demonstrated the essential role of FTF in triglyceride metabolism. Taken together, our results identify the nuclear receptor FTF as a central regulator of lipid metabolism.
Related Concept Videos
Master Transcription Regulators
Cell Specific Gene Expression
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
General Transcription Factors
Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply
Liver Regeneration
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...

