Lipids and genes: Regulatory roles of lipids in RNA expression
Xiangdong Wang, Xianlin Han, Charles A. Powell
Abstract
Nuclear lipid metabolism and metabolites play important roles in regulation of lipid-lipid, lipid-gene, lipid-chromatin, lipid-membrane and lipid-protein interactions to maintain the nuclear microenvironment, three-dimensional chromatin architecture, gene expression and transcription and biological function. This Editorial highlights the value of lipid-gene interaction in the identification and development of biomarkers and targets and emphasizes the significance of inter-regulation between lipids and genes in innovation and application of precise therapies for patients. Regulatory functions of nuclear lipid dynamics and biophysics modify transcriptomic expression, and modification (lipotranscriptome) can be a new approach for discovery and development of disease-specific diagnoses and therapies, although there are several challenges to be overcome. Better understanding of how lipid-based changes of nuclear functions and transcriptomic profiles modify clinical phenomes will provide new insights to understand molecular mechanisms of diseases and to develop spatiotemporal molecular medicine diagnostics and therapeutics.