Cell Metab 2014[Jul]; 20 (1): 26-40 PMID24794975show ga
Metabolic homeostasis requires that cellular energy levels are adapted to environmental cues. This adaptation is largely regulated at the transcriptional level, through the interaction between transcription factors, coregulators, and the basal transcriptional machinery. Coregulators, which function both as metabolic sensors and transcriptional effectors, are ideally positioned to synchronize metabolic pathways to environmental stimuli. The balance between inhibitory actions of corepressors and stimulatory effects of coactivators enables the fine-tuning of metabolic processes. The tight regulation opens therapeutic opportunities to manage metabolic dysfunction, by directing the activity of cofactors towards specific transcription factors, pathways, or cells/tissues, thereby restoring whole body metabolic homeostasis.