Open AccessSterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins (SREBPs): Controllers of Lipid Synthesis and Cellular Uptake
Author(s) -
Brown Michael S.,
Goldstein Joseph L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
nutrition reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.958
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1753-4887
pISSN - 0029-6643
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-4887.1998.tb01680.x
Subject(s) - sterol regulatory element binding protein , transcription factor , sterol , transcription (linguistics) , biochemistry , cholesterol , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , lipid metabolism , chemistry , linguistics , philosophy
Mammalian cells use an exquisitely sensitive mechanism to control the amount of cholesterol and fatty acids in their membranes. This process relies on a feedback system that adjusts the rates of transcription of genes encoding the low density lipoprotein receptor and multiple enzymes in the cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthetic pathways. When cellular cholesterol levels are depleted, these genes are all transcribed in abundant amounts, and their transcription is repressed when sterols build up within the cell. Until recently, the mechanism of this regulation was elusive. How do cells sense the level of a membrane‐embedded lipid such as cholesterol and how is this information transmitted to the nucleus where gene transcription is regulated? Answers are now beginning to emerge from the study of a newly discovered family of transcription‐regulating proteins called sterol regulatory element binding proteins.