Influence of Transcription Factor Agonists for GPAT4 in Hepatocytes (2011)

Undergraduates: Abigail Bouchon, Dr. Angela Wendel, Post-Doc

Faculty Advisor: Rosalind Coleman
Department: Biology

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Isoforms of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyze the first step of the synthesis of triacylglycerol, an essential component of energy storage and metabolism in organisms. GPAT1 is regulated by SREBP-1, a transcription factor involved in lipid metabolism. In order to determine whether GPAT4 is regulated by any transcription factors, McA-RH7777 hepatoma cells were treated with agonists for three transcription factors involved in lipid metabolism: PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma and SREBP-1. An agonist works by binding to a receptor in a cell, thus triggering a specific response by the cell. After treatment, RNA was extracted from the cells and converted to cDNA for PCR analysis. Gene expression of GPAT4 was not changed after treatment with any agonist. These data suggest that PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma, and SREBP-1 do not regulate GPAT4.