Editorial
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Jun 27, 2010; 2(6): 203-207
Published online Jun 27, 2010. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v2.i6.203
Role of unfolded protein response in lipogenesis
Ze Zheng, Chunbin Zhang, Kezhong Zhang
Ze Zheng, Chunbin Zhang, Kezhong Zhang, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Kezhong Zhang, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States
Author contributions: Zheng Z and Zhang CB were involved in material collection, discussion and the writing of the manuscript; Zhang KZ organized the materials, discussed with Zheng Z and Zhang CB and wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Kezhong Zhang, PhD, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, 540 E, Canfield Street, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, United States. kzhang@med.wayne.edu
Telephone: +1-313-5772669 Fax: +1-313-5775218
Received: February 23, 2010
Revised: June 8, 2010
Accepted: June 15, 2010
Published online: June 27, 2010
Abstract

The signal transduction network in regulating lipid metabolism is a hot topic of biomedical research. Recent research endeavors reveal that intracellular stress signaling from a cellular organelle called endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is critically involved in lipid homeostasis and the development of metabolic disease. The ER is a site where newly-synthesized proteins are folded and assembled into their three-dimensional structures, modified and transported to their precise cellular destinations. A wide range of biochemical, physiological and pathological stimuli can interrupt the protein folding process in the ER and cause accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER lumen, a condition referred to as ER stress. To cope with this stress condition, the ER has evolved highly-specific signaling pathways collectively termed Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) or ER stress response. The UPR regulates transcriptional and translational programs, affecting broad aspects of cellular metabolism and cell fate. Lipogenesis, the metabolic process of de novo lipid biosynthesis, occurs primarily in the liver where metabolic signals regulate expression of key enzymes in glycolytic and lipogenic pathways. Recent studies suggest that the UPR plays crucial roles in modulating lipogenesis under metabolic conditions. Here we address some of recent representative evidence regarding the role of the UPR in lipogenesis.

Keywords: Endoplasmic reticulum stress; Unfolded protein response; Lipogenesis; Hepatic lipid metabolism; Metabolic disease