[Protein Kinase A and Lipid Metabolism]

Protein kinase A(PKA),as a pivotal factor in the cellular signal transduction,plays an es-sential role in the regulation of lipid metabolism.PKA activates the key lipases including hormone sensi-tive lipase (HSL)and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL)to promote the fat mobilization.PKA signaling up-regulates the mitochondrial thermogenesis by enhancing the expression of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1),which critically contributes to the body heat production.PKA is closely involved in the regulation of lipogenesis in the liver.Notably,the dysregulation of PKA signaling is associated with the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the obesity,cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus.The pharmacological studies show that PKA is linked to the pharmacological effects of the major lipid regulating agents.In this review,the studies on roles of PKA in the regulation of lipid metabolism are summarized with an emphasis on progress made during the last five years for providing insights into the mechanism by which PKA regu-lates the lipid metabolism as well as the novel therapeutic strategy for lipid-metabolic diseases.