REGULATION OF GENE-EXPRESSION BY FATTY-ACIDS - SPECIAL REFERENCE TO FATTY-ACID-BINDING PROTEIN (FABP)

During the last years, the direct involvement of lipidic nutrients in the regulation of genes has been established. Fatty acids may induce o r repress the transcription rate of several genes involved in both lip id and carbohydrate metabolisms. Gene up-regulation has been found in various tissues including liver, adipose tissue and small intestine. I t is only triggered by saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acid s or their CoA-derivatives. In contrast, gene down-regulation appears to be restricted to the liver. This negative effect is exerted only by polyunsaturated fatty acids. Long-chain fatty acids are able to regul ate the expression of two different genes oppositely in the same cell type. The molecular mechanism of these fatty acid-mediated effects rem ains unclear. The involvement of members of the peroxisome proliferato r-activated receptor is discussed.