Understanding Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors: From the Structure to the Regulatory Actions on Metabolism

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are multi-domains proteins, belonging to the superfamily of nuclear receptors, which mainly act as ligand-activated transcription factors. A variety of lipophilic molecules, including long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and eicosanoids, are capable of binding to PPAR, although the nature of the physiological ligands is still under debate. PPARs regulate the expression of a set of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as in the control of inflammatory responses. Herein we review the main molecular and cellular events associated with the activation of PPARs and their effects on metabolism.