Nuclear Receptors in Nutrition

Nuclear receptors are members of a superfamily of transcription factors, with 48 members identified in the human genome. The nuclear receptors are essential for a myriad of responses in the body, ranging from development and differentiation, immune and inflammatory responses, to metabolism and homeostasis.

So what is the importance of nuclear receptors in nutrition? Molecular nutrition is all about metabolism and regulation of the metabolic processes. It is in the regulation of cell metabolism that nuclear receptors play a crucial role. For instance, some of the nuclear receptors, such as PPARs, LXRs and FXR are activated by nutrient metabolites and regulate nutrient homeostasis genes. They have a function in the processing of macronutrients. These metabolic receptors function as sensors for their cognate nutrient ligands. Other nuclear receptors such as the vitamin A and the vitamin D receptors, are the messengers that convey the signals from micronutrients that are essential to maintain normal physiology.

This highly interactive eLearning module will broaden and deepen your understanding of this exiting scientific field by guiding you through several interactive exercises and animations.

Keywords/Key phrases
Nuclear receptors, gene regulation, homeostasis, vitamin D receptor, LXR, FXR, nutrigenomics