First Author | Luu W | Year | 2012 |
Journal | Biochim Biophys Acta | Volume | 1823 |
Issue | 2 | Pages | 458-64 |
PubMed ID | 22005015 | Mgi Jnum | J:180699 |
Mgi Id | MGI:5306859 | Doi | 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2011.09.017 |
Citation | Luu W, et al. (2012) Akt acutely activates the cholesterogenic transcription factor SREBP-2. Biochim Biophys Acta 1823(2):458-64 |
abstractText | Akt is an essential protein kinase for cell growth, proliferation, and survival. Perturbed Akt regulation is associated with a number of human diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Recently, evidence has emerged that Akt is involved in the regulation of the sterol-regulatory element binding proteins, which are master transcriptional regulators of lipid metabolism. This offers a means by which synthesis of new membrane can be coordinated with cell growth and proliferation. However, the link between Akt and sterol-regulatory element binding protein-2, the major isoform participating in cholesterol regulation, is relatively unexplored. In the present study, we employed insulin-like growth factor-1 as an inducer of Akt signalling, and showed that it increased sterol-regulatory element binding protein-2 activation acutely (within 1h). This insulin-like growth factor-1-induced sterol-regulatory element binding protein-2 activation was blunted when Akt was inhibited pharmacologically or molecularly with small interfering RNA. Furthermore, we employed a rapalog heterodimerisation system to specifically and rapidly activate Akt, and found that sterol-regulatory element binding protein-2 activation was increased in response to Akt activation. Together, this study provides compelling evidence that Akt contributes to the acute regulation of cholesterol metabolism through activating sterol-regulatory element binding protein-2. |