BBB seminar: Karianne Solaas

Karianne Solaas
Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Oslo

Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors of which a few are main regulators of lipid homeostasis. The NRs named liver X receptors (LXRs) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play numerous roles in metabolic pathways involved in metabolic syndrome (MetS). Our research group has much data demonstrating that LXRs and PPARs are important in co-regulating lipid and glucose metabolism and as insulin mediating factors. Thus, polymorphisms in the genes encoding LXRs and PPARs are good candidates to cause metabolic changes as seen in MetS. In our project, polymorphisms in the LXR genes have been identified by gene sequencing, and polymorphisms in LXR, PPAR and a co-activator of these genes have been genotyped in a unique collection of patients with MetS and related traits. So far, polymorphisms in the LXR? isoform were found to be associated with clinical parameters of MetS, and we have the facilities to test the functions of these polymorphisms in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo in the patients. New knowledge of NR function and the effect of specific polymorphisms may be useful in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Host: Marit Bakke, Department of Biomedicine