Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. attie@biochem.wisc.edu
Lipogenesis is regulated by sterols and by insulin through the regulated expression and activation of the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). A new study shows one way in which sterol and insulin regulation can be decoupled. In transgenic mice overexpressing a protein that regulates SREBP activation, lipogenesis is more sensitive to cholesterol and less sensitive to insulin.