Biomedical subjects

I Shimomura

Publications and source records attributed to I Shimomura.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Enhancement of the aquaporin adipose gene expression by a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.

The current study demonstrates that aquaporin adipose (AQPap), an adipose-specific glycerol channel (Kishida, K., Kuriyama, H., Funahashi, T., Shimomura, I., Kihara, S., Ouchi, N., Nishida, M., Nishizawa, H., Matsuda, M., Takahashi, M., Hotta, K., Nakamura, T., Yamashita, S., Tochino, Y., and Matsuzawa, Y. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 20896-20902), is a target gene of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma. The AQPap mRNA amounts increased following the induction of PPARgamma in the differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The AQPap mRNA in the adipose tissue increased when mice were treated with pioglitazone (PGZ), a synthetic PPARgamma ligand, and decreased in PPARgamma(+/-) heterozygous knockout mice. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, PGZ augmented the AQPap mRNA expression and its promoter activity. Serial deletion of the promoter revealed the putative peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor response element (PPRE) at -93/-77. In 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, the expression of PPARgamma by transfection and PGZ activated the luciferase activity of the promoter containing the PPRE, whereas the PPRE-deleted mutant was not affected. The gel mobility shift assay showed the direct binding of PPARgamma-retinoid X receptor alpha complex to the PPRE. DeltaPPARgamma, which we generated as the dominant negative PPARgamma lacking the activation function-2 domain, suppressed the promoter activity in 3T3-L1 cells, dose-dependently. We conclude that AQPap is a novel adipose-specific target gene of PPARgamma through the binding of PPARgamma-retinoid X receptor complex to the PPRE region in its promoter.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2001

Genomic structure and insulin-mediated repression of the aquaporin adipose (AQPap), adipose-specific glycerol channel.

Aquaporin adipose (AQPap) is a putative glycerol channel in adipocytes (Kishida, K., Kuriyama, H., Funahashi, T., Shimomura, I., Kihara, S., Ouchi, N., Nishida, M., Nishizawa, H., Matsuda, M., Takahashi, M., Hotta, K., Nakamura, T., Yamashita, S., Tochino, Y., and Matsuzawa, Y. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 20896-20902). In the current study, we examined the genomic structure of the mouse AQPap gene and its regulation by insulin. The mouse AQPap gene spanned 12 kilobase pairs in chromosome 4 and consisted of 8 exons and 7 introns. The first two exons, designated exon 1 and exon 1', are alternatively spliced to common exon 2, and thus the AQPap gene possessed two potential promoters. The exon 1-derived transcript is dominant in both adipose tissues and adipocytes on the basis of RNase protection assay and promoter analysis. The mRNA increased after fasting and decreased with refeeding. Insulin deficiency generated by streptozotocin enhanced the mRNA in adipose tissue. Insulin down-regulated AQPap mRNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The AQPap promoter contained heptanucleotide sequences, TGTTTTT at -443/-437, similar to the insulin-response element identified previously in the promoters of insulin-repressed genes. Deletion and single base pair substitution analysis of the promoter revealed that these sequences were required for insulin-mediated repression of AQPap gene transcription. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway was involved in this inhibition. We conclude that insulin represses the transcription of AQPap gene via insulin response element in its promoter. Sustained up-regulation of AQPap mRNA in adipose tissue in the insulin-resistant condition may disturb glucose homeostasis by increasing plasma glycerol.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2001

SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) is required for increased lipid synthesis in liver induced by cholesterol deprivation and insulin elevation.

In liver, the synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids increases in response to cholesterol deprivation and insulin elevation, respectively. This regulatory mechanism underlies the adaptation to cholesterol synthesis inhibitors (statins) and high calorie diets (insulin). In nonhepatic cells, lipid synthesis is controlled by sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), membrane-bound transcription factors whose active domains are released proteolytically to enter the nucleus and activate genes involved in the synthesis and uptake of cholesterol and fatty acids. SCAP (SREBP cleavage-activating protein) is a sterol-regulated escort protein that transports SREBPs from their site of synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum to their site of cleavage in the Golgi. Here, we produced a conditional deficiency of SCAP in mouse liver by genomic recombination mediated by inducible Cre recombinase. SCAP-deficient mice showed an 80% reduction in basal rates of cholesterol and fatty acid synthesis in liver, owing to decreases in mRNAs encoding multiple biosynthetic enzymes. Moreover, these mRNAs failed to increase normally in response to cholesterol deprivation produced by a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor and to insulin elevation produced by a fasting-refeeding protocol. These data provide in vivo evidence that SCAP and the SREBPs are required for hepatic lipid synthesis under basal and adaptive conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

The expression of SPARC in adipose tissue and its increased plasma concentration in patients with coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: Adipocytes secrete various cytokines and matrix proteins. Several of them precipitate in obesity-associated diseases, including atherosclerosis. In the current study, we have examined the expression of secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) in adipose tissue and its significance in obesity and coronary artery disease (CAD). RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: The SPARC mRNA expressions both in vivo and in vitro were detected by Northern blot analysis. Plasma SPARC concentrations were measured by enzyme immunosorbent assay. First, we investigated the plasma SPARC levels of 88 unrelated adult Japanese subjects (62 men and 26 women; average age: [+/- SD] 50 +/- 12 years; body mass index [BMI]: 16 to 46 kg/m(2)). Additionally 31 subjects with CAD diagnosed by coronary angiography (20 men and 11 women) were also investigated. RESULTS: Human adipose tissues expressed abundant SPARC mRNA. SPARC expression in adipose tissues was upregulated in obese db/db mice. Markedly enhanced expression of SPARC mRNA was observed in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts during adipocyte differentiation. Consistent with these results, plasma SPARC levels proved a positive correlation with BMI in humans (r = 0.27; p < 0.01). Interestingly, plasma SPARC concentrations were significantly elevated in age- and BMI-matched subjects with CAD (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: SPARC was expressed in adipose tissues and its expression was enhanced in obese mice. In human, plasma SPARC levels were elevated in obesity and CAD patients. This elevated SPARC may be involved in the progression of CAD.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed2001

PPARgamma ligands increase expression and plasma concentrations of adiponectin, an adipose-derived protein.

Insulin resistance and its dreaded consequence, type 2 diabetes, are major causes of atherosclerosis. Adiponectin is an adipose-specific plasma protein that possesses anti-atherogenic properties, such as the suppression of adhesion molecule expression in vascular endothelial cells and cytokine production from macrophages. Plasma adiponectin concentrations are decreased in obese and type 2 diabetic subjects with insulin resistance. A regimen that normalizes or increases the plasma adiponectin might prevent atherosclerosis in patients with insulin resistance. In this study, we demonstrate the inducing effects of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), which are synthetic PPARgamma ligands, on the expression and secretion of adiponectin in humans and rodents in vivo and in vitro. The administration of TZDs significantly increased the plasma adiponectin concentrations in insulin resistant humans and rodents without affecting their body weight. Adiponectin mRNA expression was normalized or increased by TZDs in the adipose tissues of obese mice. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, TZD derivatives enhanced the mRNA expression and secretion of adiponectin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, these effects were mediated through the activation of the promoter by the TZDs. On the other hand, TNF-alpha, which is produced more in an insulin-resistant condition, dose-dependently reduced the expression of adiponectin in adipocytes by suppressing its promoter activity. TZDs restored this inhibitory effect by TNF-alpha. TZDs might prevent atherosclerotic vascular disease in insulin-resistant patients by inducing the production of adiponectin through direct effect on its promoter and antagonizing the effect of TNF-alpha on the adiponectin promoter.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2000

Regulation of mouse sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c gene (SREBP-1c) by oxysterol receptors, LXRalpha and LXRbeta.

The liver X receptors (LXRs) are members of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that are bound and activated by oxysterols. These receptors serve as sterol sensors to regulate the transcription of gene products that control intracellular cholesterol homeostasis through catabolism and transport. In this report, we describe a novel LXR target, the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c gene (SREBP-1c), which encodes a membrane-bound transcription factor of the basic helix-loop-helix-leucine zipper family. SREBP-1c expression was markedly increased in mouse tissues in an LXR-dependent manner by dietary cholesterol and synthetic agonists for both LXR and its heterodimer partner, the retinoid X receptor (RXR). Expression of the related gene products, SREBP-1a and SREBP-2, were not increased. Analysis of the mouse SREBP-1c gene promoter revealed an RXR/LXR DNA-binding site that is essential for this regulation. The transcriptional increase in SREBP-1c mRNA by RXR/LXR was accompanied by a similar increase in the level of the nuclear, active form of the SREBP-1c protein and an increase in fatty acid synthesis. Because this active form of SREBP-1c controls the transcription of genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, our results reveal a unique regulatory interplay between cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

Leptin, troglitazone, and the expression of sterol regulatory element binding proteins in liver and pancreatic islets.

Overaccumulation of lipids in nonadipose tissues of obese rodents may lead to lipotoxic complications such as diabetes. To assess the pathogenic role of the lipogenic transcription factor, sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1), we measured its mRNA in liver and islets of obese, leptin-unresponsive fa/fa Zucker diabetic fatty rats. Hepatic SREBP-1 mRNA was 2.4 times higher than in lean +/+ controls, primarily because of increased SREBP-1c expression. mRNA of lipogenic enzymes ranged from 2.4- to 4.6-fold higher than lean controls, and triacylglycerol (TG) content was 5.4 times higher. In pancreatic islets of fa/fa rats, SREBP-1c was 3.4 times higher than in lean +/+ Zucker diabetic fatty rats. The increase of SREBP-1 in liver and islets of untreated fa/fa rats was blocked by 6 weeks of troglitazone therapy, and the diabetic phenotype was prevented. Up-regulation of SREBP-1 also occurred in livers of Sprague-Dawley rats with diet-induced obesity. Hyperleptinemia, induced in lean +/+ rats by adenovirus gene transfer, lowered hepatic SREBP-1c by 74% and the lipogenic enzymes from 35 to 59%. In conclusion, overnutrition increases and adenovirus-induced hyperleptinemia decreases SREBP-1c expression in liver and islets. SREBP-1 overexpression, which is prevented by troglitazone, may play a role in the ectopic lipogenesis and lipotoxicity complicating obesity in Zucker diabetic fatty rats.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2000

Aquaporin adipose, a putative glycerol channel in adipocytes.

Adipose tissue is a major site of glycerol production in response to energy balance. However, molecular basis of glycerol release from adipocytes has not yet been elucidated. We recently cloned a novel member of the aquaporin family, aquaporin adipose (AQPap), which has glycerol permeability. The current study was designed to examine the hypothesis that AQPap serves as a glycerol channel in adipocytes. Adipose tissue expressed AQPap mRNA in high abundance, but not the mRNAs for the other aquaglyceroporins, AQP3 and AQP9, indicating that AQPap is the only known aquaglyceroporin expressed in adipose tissue. Glycerol release from 3T3-L1 cells was increased during differentiation in parallel with AQPap mRNA levels and suppressed by mercury ion, which inhibits the function of AQPs, supporting AQPap functions as a glycerol channel in adipocytes. Fasting increased and refeeding suppressed adipose AQPap mRNA levels in accordance with plasma glycerol levels and oppositely to plasma insulin levels in mice. Insulin dose-dependently suppressed AQPap mRNA expression in 3T3-L1 cells. AQPap mRNA levels and adipose glycerol concentrations measured by the microdialysis technique were increased in obese mice with insulin resistance. Accordingly, negative regulation of AQPap expression by insulin was impaired in the insulin-resistant state. Exposure of epinephrine translocated AQPap protein from perinuclear cytoplasm to the plasma membrane in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These results strongly suggest that AQPap plays an important role in glycerol release from adipocytes.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2000

Genomic structure and mutations in adipose-specific gene, adiponectin.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is a collagen-like plasma protein specifically synthesized in adipose tissue. Plasma adiponectin concentrations are decreased in obesity whereas it is adipose-specific. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the significance of the genetic variations in adiponectin gene on its plasma concentrations and obesity. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and nineteen unrelated adult Japanese subjects (123 men and 96 women, age: 20-83 y, BMI: 16-43 kg/m2) including 77 obese subjects (BMI>26.4 kg/m2). MEASUREMENT: Human adiponectin gene was isolated from PAC DNA pools. Mutations in the adiponectin gene were screened by direct sequencing or restriction-fragment polymorphism. The levels of plasma adiponectin were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Adiponectin gene spanned 17 kb on chromosome 3q27, consisting of three exons and two introns. Within 2.1 kb of the 5'-flanking region, there were two octamer elements present in the promoter of adipsin. Two nucleotide changes were identified. One was a polymorphism (G/T) occurring in exon 2, and the other was a missense mutation (R112C) in exon 3. The mean plasma adiponectin levels of the subjects carrying G allele were low (G/G: 4.5 microg/ml; G/T: 5.9 microg/ml; and T/T: 6.3 microg/ml), but were not statistically significant. The allelic frequency between the obese and the non-obese showed no significant difference. The subject carrying R112C mutation showed markedly low concentration of plasma adiponectin. CONCLUSION: Two nucleotide changes have been identified in the adiponectin gene. G/T polymorphism in exon 2 was associated with neither plasma adiponectin concentrations nor the presence of obesity. A subject carrying missense mutation (R112C) showed markedly low plasma adiponectin concentration.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed2000

Decreased IRS-2 and increased SREBP-1c lead to mixed insulin resistance and sensitivity in livers of lipodystrophic and ob/ob mice.

In mice with too little fat (lipodystrophy) or too much fat (ob/ob), leptin deficiency leads to hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. In both disorders, the liver overproduces glucose as a result of resistance to the normal action of insulin in repressing mRNAs for gluconeogenic enzymes. Here we show that chronic hyperinsulinemia downregulates the mRNA for IRS-2, an essential component of the insulin-signaling pathway in liver, thereby producing insulin resistance. Despite IRS-2 deficiency, insulin continues to stimulate production of SREBP-1c, a transcription factor that activates fatty acid synthesis. The combination of insulin resistance (inappropriate gluconeogenesis) and insulin sensitivity (elevated lipogenesis) establishes a vicious cycle that aggravates hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in lipodystrophic and ob/ob mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Insulin selectively increases SREBP-1c mRNA in the livers of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) enhance transcription of genes encoding enzymes of cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis and uptake. In the current experiments, we observed a decline in the mRNA encoding one SREBP isoform, SREBP-1c, in the livers of rats that were rendered diabetic by treatment with streptozotocin. There was no change in the mRNA encoding SREBP-1a, which is derived from the same gene as SREBP-1c but uses a different promoter. The ratio of SREBP-1c:1a transcripts fell 25-fold from 5:1 in control rats to 0.2:1 in the diabetic animals. The SREBP-1c mRNA rose nearly to normal, and the 1c:1a ratio increased 17-fold when the diabetic rats were treated for 6 h with insulin. These treatments produced no change in the mRNA for SREBP-2, which is encoded by a separate gene. The SREBP-1c mRNA also fell selectively in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes and rose when the cells were treated with insulin. Considered together with recent data on hepatocytes [Foretz, M., Pacot, C., Dugal, I., et al. (1999) Mol. Cell. Biol. 19, 3760-3768], the current in vivo studies suggest that insulin may stimulate lipid synthesis in the liver by selectively inducing transcription of the SREBP-1c gene.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Increased levels of nuclear SREBP-1c associated with fatty livers in two mouse models of diabetes mellitus.

Hepatic steatosis is common in non-insulin-dependent diabetes and can be associated with fibrosis and cirrhosis in a subset of individuals. Increased rates of fatty acid synthesis have been reported in livers from rodent models of diabetes and may contribute to the development of steatosis. Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) are a family of regulated transcription factors that stimulate lipid synthesis in liver. In the current studies, we measured the content of SREBPs in livers from two mouse models of diabetes, obese ob/ob mice and transgenic aP2-SREBP-1c436 (aP2-SREBP-1c) mice that overexpress nuclear SREBP-1c only in adipose tissue. The aP2-SREBP-1c mice exhibit a syndrome that resembles congenital generalized lipodystrophy in humans. Both lines of mice develop hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and hepatic steatosis. Nuclear SREBP-1c protein levels were significantly elevated in livers from ob/ob and aP2-SREBP-1c mice compared with wild-type mice. Increased nuclear SREBP-1c protein was associated with elevated mRNA levels for known SREBP target genes involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, which led to significantly higher rates of hepatic fatty acid synthesis in vivo. These studies suggest that increased levels of nuclear SREBP-1c contribute to the elevated rates of hepatic fatty acid synthesis that leads to steatosis in diabetic mice.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Leptin reverses insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus in mice with congenital lipodystrophy.

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a paucity of adipose (fat) tissue which is evident at birth and is accompanied by a severe resistance to insulin, leading to hyperinsulinaemia, hyperglycaemia and enlarged fatty liver. We have developed a mouse model that mimics these features of CGL: the syndrome occurs in transgenic mice expressing a truncated version of a nuclear protein known as nSREBP-1c (for sterol-regulatory-element-binding protein-1c) under the control of the adipose-specific aP2 enhancer. Adipose tissue from these mice was markedly deficient in messenger RNAs encoding several fat-specific proteins, including leptin, a fat-derived hormone that regulates food intake and energy metabolism. Here we show that insulin resistance in our lipodystrophic mice can be overcome by a continuous systemic infusion of low doses of recombinant leptin, an effect that is not mimicked by chronic food restriction. Our results support the idea that leptin modulates insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal independently of its effect on food intake, and that leptin deficiency accounts for the insulin resistance found in CGL.

Adipocytes↗

PubMed1999

Paradoxical decrease of an adipose-specific protein, adiponectin, in obesity.

We isolated the human adipose-specific and most abundant gene transcript, apM1 (Maeda, K., et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 221, 286-289, 1996). The apM1 gene product was a kind of soluble matrix protein, which we named adiponectin. To quantitate the plasma adiponectin concentration, we have produced monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for human adiponectin and developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system. Adiponectin was abundantly present in the plasma of healthy volunteers in the range from 1.9 to 17.0 mg/ml. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin in obese subjects were significantly lower than those in non-obese subjects, although adiponectin is secreted only from adipose tissue. The ELISA system developed in this study will be useful for elucidating the physiological and pathophysiological role of adiponectin in humans.

Adiponectin↗

PubMed1999

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins: activators of cholesterol and fatty acid biosynthesis.

A family of transcription factors designated sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) mediates the previously described end-product feedback regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis. In addition, SREBPs are emerging as important regulators of fatty acid synthesis. The current review focuses on the in-vivo regulation of SREBPs in liver and the coordinate regulation of SREBP-activated target genes.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Role of adipocytokines on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in visceral obesity.

Obesity which is defined as accumulation of excess body fat, is a major cause of atherosclerotic vascular disease in industrial countries. Recent advances in the biology of adipose tissue have revealed that adipose tissue is not simply an energy storage organ but it also secretes a variety of molecules which affect the metabolism of the whole body. Through a systematic search of active genes in adipose tissue, we found that adipose tissue, especially visceral fat expressed numerous genes for secretory proteins (about 30% of total genes analyzed). Among them, plasminogen activator-1 (PAI-1), which is a regulator of the fibrinolytic system, was overexpressed in the visceral fat in an animal model of obesity. Plasma levels of PAI-1 were closely correlated with visceral fat adiposity. Thus, PAI-1 secreted from visceral fat may play some role in thrombotic vascular disease in visceral obesity. Adiponectin, a novel adipose-specific gene product, which has a matrix-like structure, is abundantly present in the bloodstream. Dysregulated secretion of adiponectin may be related to vascular disease in obesity. Biologically active molecules secreted from adipose tissue (adipocytokines) may have important roles in the development of atherosclerotic disease in obesity.

Adiponectin↗

PubMed1998

Nuclear sterol regulatory element-binding proteins activate genes responsible for the entire program of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in transgenic mouse liver.

Previous studies have shown that the rate of fatty acid synthesis is elevated by more than 20-fold in livers of transgenic mice that express truncated nuclear forms of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). This was explained in part by an increase in the levels of mRNA for the two major enzymes of fatty acid synthesis, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase, whose transcription is stimulated by SREBPs. Fatty acid synthesis also requires a source of acetyl-CoA and NADPH. In the current studies we show that the levels of mRNA for ATP citrate lyase, the enzyme that produces acetyl-CoA, are also elevated in the transgenic livers. In addition, we found marked elevations in the mRNAs for malic enzyme, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, all of which produce NADPH. Finally, we found that overexpressing two of the SREBPs (1a and 2) led to elevated mRNAs for stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), an isoform that is detectable in nontransgenic livers, and SCD2, an isoform that is not detected in nontransgenic livers. This stimulation led to an increase in total SCD activity in liver microsomes. Together, all of these changes would be expected to lead to a marked increase in the concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids in the transgenic livers, and this was confirmed chromatographically. We conclude that expression of nuclear SREBPs is capable of activating the entire coordinated program of unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis in mouse liver.

ATP Citrate (pro-S)-Lyase↗

PubMed1998

Blunted feedback suppression of SREBP processing by dietary cholesterol in transgenic mice expressing sterol-resistant SCAP(D443N).

Feedback regulation of cholesterol biosynthesis is mediated by membrane-bound transcription factors designated sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP)-1 and -2. In sterol-deprived cultured cells, SREBPs are released from membranes by a proteolytic process that is stimulated by SREBP cleavage-activating protein (SCAP), a membrane protein containing a sterol-sensing domain. Sterols suppress SREBP cleavage by blocking the action of SCAP, thereby decreasing cholesterol synthesis. A point mutation in SCAP(D443N) causes resistance to sterol suppression. In this article, we produced transgenic mice that express mutant SCAP(D443N) in liver. In these livers the nuclear content of SREBP-1 and -2 was increased, mRNAs encoding proteins involved in uptake and synthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids were elevated, and the livers were engorged with cholesteryl esters and triglycerides enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids. When the mice were challenged with a high cholesterol diet, cleavage of SREBP-1 and -2 was reduced in wild-type livers and less so in transgenic livers. We conclude that SCAP(D443N) stimulates proteolytic processing of native SREBPs in liver and decreases the normal sterol-mediated feedback regulation of SREBP cleavage, suggesting a central role for SCAP as a sterol sensor in liver.

Animals↗