Additional info: |
PPAR.alpha. is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the regulation of lipid homeostasis. Fatty acids, NSAIDs, prostaglandins, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), WY 14643, and hypolipidemic drugs are PPAR.alpha. ligands. PPAR.alpha. transcriptionally regulates a variety of genes for enzymes and proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism and oxidation, such as acyl-CoA oxidase, enol-CoA hydratase, medium chain fatty acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, fatty acid transport protein, and cytochrome P450 4A isozymes. Northern blot analysis reveals that PPAR.alpha. is expressed predominately in liver, skeletal muscle, heart, and kidney. The molecular weight of PPAR.alpha. is approximately 52,000 based on the deduced amino acid sequence. |