Metabolic Regulation by Nuclear Receptors

Abstract

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are a large family of ligand-dependent transcriptional regulators that control development, reproduction, metabolism, and inflammation. Cognate ligands include fatty acids, bile acids, steroids, vitamins A and D, and thyroid hormone, which enable NRs to sense lipophilic nutrients levels and control their respective flux and metabolism. While major metabolic outputs of some individual receptors are well studied, an integrated understanding of their contributions to systemic metabolic homeostasis is just starting to be revealed. In this chapter, we summarize recent advances in NR signaling in metabolism, with a focus on the emerging paradigm that positions NRs as hubs that translate environmental signals of a particular physiological state into daily metabolic rhythms. As NRs are a proven class of therapeutic targets, these novel findings provide insight into therapeutics for the metabolic syndrome.