Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor

Synonyms

NR1C; PPAR

Definition

Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear hormone receptors originally identified as molecular targets of synthetic compounds inducing peroxisome proliferation. As ligand-dependent transcription factors, PPARs mediate the effects of fatty acids and their derivatives, and thereby regulate proliferation, differentiation, and cell survival.

Characteristics

The three peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor isoforms PPARα, PPARβ/δ, and PPARγ are encoded by different genes and belong to the largest family of transcription factors, the nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs). PPARs possess a modular structure composed of a central DNA binding domain (DBD) with two zinc fingers and a ligand binding domain (LBD), including the ligand binding pocket and the ligand-dependent activation domain AF-2 in its C-terminus (Fig. 1). A ligand-independent, poorly characterized transactivation function at the N-terminus is known as AF-1. PPARs control gene...