The estrogen-related receptors in metabolism and cancer: newer insights

摘要

The eukaryotic nuclear receptors (NRs) super-family of transcriptional factors include the estrogen-related receptors (ERRs) that have diverse roles in control of cellular energy balance, general metabolism, growth and development, immunity etc. Mouse knock-out models of specific ERR isoforms (ERR alpha, ERR beta and ERR gamma) exhibit defects in several phenotypic traits. Newer findings indicate important roles of ERRs in the regulation of brown adipocyte tissue mitochondrial oxidative functions as well as metabolic control in association with hypoxia-inducible factors during cellular hypoxic state. Genes involved in cardiac metabolism is also influenced by ERR alpha and ERR gamma in association with the co-activators PGC-1 alpha and PGC-1 beta. On the other hand, ERRs have crucial involvement at the interface of metabolism and diseases such as cancer. Recent findings have implicated ERR alpha in the progression of tumor and malignancy of the breast, prostate, colon, endometrium etc. In this article, new insights into the regulatory role of ERRs in metabolism and cancer shall be reviewed.