Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-alpha), also known as NR1C1 (nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group C, member 1), is a nuclear receptor

Nuclear receptor

In the field of molecular biology, nuclear receptors are a class of proteins found within cells that are responsible for sensing steroid and thyroid hormones and certain other molecules...

 protein that in humans is encoded by the PPARA gene

Gene

A gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...

.

Function

PPAR-alpha is a transcription factor and a major regulator of lipid metabolism in the liver. PPAR-alpha is activated under nutrient-deficient conditions and is necessary for the process of ketogenesis

Ketogenesis

Ketogenesis is the process by which ketone bodies are produced as a result of fatty acid breakdown.-Production:Ketone bodies are produced mainly in the mitochondria of liver cells. Its synthesis occurs in response to low glucose levels in the blood, and after exhaustion of cellular carbohydrate...

, a key adaptive response to prolonged fasting . Activation of PPAR-alpha promotes uptake, utilization, and catabolism of fatty acids by upregulation of genes involved in fatty acid transport and peroxisomal and mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation. PPAR-alpha is primarily activated through ligand binding. Synthetic ligands include the fibrate drugs, which are used to treat hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia

Hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia, or hyperlipidaemia is the condition of abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids and/or lipoproteins in the blood...

. An endogenous ligand has been identified as the phosphatidylcholine species 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine . Endogenous activation of PPAR-alpha is dependent on the presence of fatty acid synthase

Fatty acid synthase

Fatty acid synthase is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the FASN gene.Fatty acid synthase is a multi-enzyme protein that catalyzes fatty acid synthesis...

.

Interactions

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha has been shown to interact

Protein-protein interaction

Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

 with:

• AIP
  AIP (gene)
  AH receptor-interacting protein also known as aryl-hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein, immunophilin homolog ARA9, or HBV X-associated protein 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the AIP gene.- Function :...
  
  ,
• EP300
  EP300
  E1A binding protein p300 also known as EP300 or p300 is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the EP300 gene. This protein regulates the activity of many genes in tissues throughout the body...
  
  
• HSP90AA1,
• NCOA1
  Nuclear receptor coactivator 1
  The nuclear receptor coactivator 1 is a transcriptional coregulatory protein that contains several nuclear receptor interacting domains and an intrinsic histone acetyltransferase activity . NCOA1 is recruited to DNA promotion sites by ligand-activated nuclear receptors. NCOA1, in turn, acylates...
  
  , and
• NCOR1
  Nuclear receptor co-repressor 1
  The nuclear receptor co-repressor 1 also known as thyroid-hormone- and retinoic-acid-receptor-associated co-repressor 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the NCOR1 gene....
  
  .

Further reading