PPAR Signaling

regulating lipid metabolism, cellular differentiation, and proliferation. The 3 PPAR isoforms share similar functions but different tissue distributions. The alpha isoform is primarily expressed in adipose tissue, liver, and muscle, the beta/delta isoform is widely expressed in all tissues, and the gamma isoform is primarily expressed in adipose tissue and muscle. Ligands such as fatty acids activate these receptors, causing them to heterodimerize with the retinoid X receptors (RXR) and increase target gene transcription. Multiple coactivators and corepressors interact with PPAR/RXR heterodimers to direct target gene specificity. Dysregulation of PPAR activity is a potential cause of metabolic syndrome-related disorders, such as insulin resistance and hypercholesterolemia. Several PPAR gamma agonists were released as pharmaceuticals. However, many of these drugs were removed due to side effects, especially liver and heart problems. Clearly, additional research into PPAR isoform regulation is necessary to identify the mechanisms for these side effects and ensure avoidance in the future.

QIAGEN provides a broad range of assay technologies for PPAR signaling research that enables analysis of gene expression and regulation, epigenetic modification, genotyping, and signal transduction pathway activation. Solutions optimized for PPAR signaling studies include PCR array, miRNA, siRNA, mutation analysis, pathway reporter, chromatin IP, DNA methylation, and protein expression products.