title: Minireview: liver X receptor beta: emerging roles in physiology and diseases.
abstract: Liver X receptors, LXRalpha and LXRbeta, are nuclear receptors belonging to the large family of transcription factors. After activation by oxysterols, LXRs play a central role in the control of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism as well as inflammation. The role of LXRalpha has been extensively studied, particularly in the liver and macrophages. In the liver it prevents cholesterol accumulation by increasing bile acid synthesis and secretion into the bile through ATP-binding cassette G5/G8 transporters, whereas in macrophages it increases cholesterol reverse transport. The function of LXRbeta is still under investigation with most of the current knowledge coming from the study of phenotypes of LXRbeta-/- mice. With these mice new emerging roles for LXRbeta have been demonstrated in the pathogenesis of diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and chronic pancreatitis. The present review will focus on the abnormalities described so far in LXRbeta-/- mice and the insight gained into the possible roles of LXRbeta in human diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Novum, S-141 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gabbi
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.forename: Jan-Ake
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004032:Diet; D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors; D010641:Phenotype; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D000071518:Liver X Receptors; C000605213:NR1H3 protein, human; C000605214:Nr1h3 protein, mouse; D057093:Orphan Nuclear Receptors; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear