Long chain fatty acids as modulators of gene transcription in preadipose cells

During the last years, it has been clearly established that long-chain fatt y acids act as modulators of gene expression in various tissues, such as ad ipose tissue, intestine and liver. This transcriptional action of fatty aci ds explains in part adaptation mechanisms of tissues to nutritional changes and especially to high-fat diets by increasing expression of proteins invo lved in lipid catabolism in liver and fatty acid uptake and utilization in other tissues. It is now clearly demonstrated that some of these transcript ional effects of fatty acids are mediated by activation of specific nuclear hormone receptors, called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPA Rs). These findings will be discussed with a special reference to control o f gene expression in preadipocytes and adipose tissue development.