Transcriptional control of energy metabolism by nuclear receptors

Transcriptional regulation of catabolic pathways is a central mechanism by which cells respond to physiological cues to generate the energy required for anabolic pathways, transport of molecules and mechanical work. Nuclear receptors are members of a superfamily of transcription factors that transduce hormonal, nutrient, metabolite and redox signals into specific metabolic gene programmes, and thus hold a major status as regulators of cellular energy generation. Nuclear receptors also regulate the expression of genes involved in cellular processes that are implicated in energy production, including mitochondrial biogenesis and autophagy. Recent advances in genome-wide approaches have considerably expanded the repertoire of both nuclear receptors and metabolic genes under their direct transcriptional control. To fine-tune the expression of their target genes, nuclear receptors must act cooperatively with other transcription factors and coregulator proteins, integrate signals from key metabolic sensory systems such as the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) complexes and synchronize their activities with the biological clock. Therefore, nuclear receptors must function as more than molecular switches for small lipophilic ligands - as initially ascribed - but rather must be capable of orchestrating a large ensemble of input signals. Therefore, a primary role for several nuclear receptors is to serve as the focal point of transcriptional hubs in energy metabolism: their molecular task is to receive and transduce multiple systemic and intracellular metabolic signals to maintain energy homeostasis from individual cells to the whole organism.