Fluorescence Methods to Assess the Impact of Lipid Binding Proteins on Ligand-Mediated Activation of Gene Expression Chapter uri icon

abstract

  • 2010 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. Although animal studies over the past few decades have demonstrated that dietary lipid nutrients are responsible for the regulation of downstream gene expression, detailed mechanistic explanations for these observations have only begun to be realized in the last decade. A fundamental problem in understanding the potential role of lipids as natural ligands that activate transcriptional activity of nuclear receptors has been the lack of knowledge regarding the presence and distribution of unesterified long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and nonhydrolyzed long-chain fatty acyl-CoA (LCFA-CoA) in the nuclei of living cells. Previously, very little was known regarding the potential factors regulating the distribution and targeting of these lipids to the nucleus or their effect on nuclear regulation. Recent work has indicated that cytoplasmic lipid binding proteins function in this role through high affinity binding of lipidic ligands and direct interaction with nuclear receptors. Furthermore, several nuclear receptors have now been shown to exhibit high affinity (i.e., nanomolar Kd) for LCFA and LCFA-CoA, consistent with their physiological significance as endogenous ligands of these nuclear receptors. The current review is not meant to be all inclusive, but will instead focus on the use of fluorescent techniques to elucidate the role of cytoplasmic lipid binding proteins in the uptake and transport of lipidic ligands to the nucleus and their subsequent interaction with nuclear receptors.

author list (cited authors)

  • Hostetler, H. A., McIntosh, A. L., Petrescu, A. D., Huang, H., Atshaves, B. P., Murphy, E. J., Kier, A. B., & Schroeder, F.

citation count

  • 5

complete list of authors

  • Hostetler, Heather A||McIntosh, Avery L||Petrescu, Anca D||Huang, Huan||Atshaves, Barbara P||Murphy, Eric J||Kier, Ann B||Schroeder, Friedhelm

editor list (cited editors)

  • Murphy, E. J., Murphy, E., Rosenberger, T., & Rosenberger, T. A.

Book Title

  • LIPID-MEDIATED SIGNALING

publication date

  • January 2010