ABSTRACT
Modulation of gene expression through altered transcription regulates stellate cell
behavior in normal liver and following hepatic injury. Transcription factors are generally
classified according to conserved motifs within either the activation- or DNA- binding
domains of the molecules. Transcriptional activity in stellate cells represents a
delicate fine tuning of multiple inputs. Activities of these transcription factors
are modified by their intracellular localization, rate and pathway of degradation,
oligomerization, and interactions with heterologous factors and chromatin, as well
as by posttranslational modifications, including phosphorylation, glycosylation, and
acetylation. General paradigms of transcriptional control are increasingly being validated
in hepatic stellate cells, particularly involving the transcription factors CCAAT/enhancer-binding
proteins, c-myb, CREB, nuclear factor κB, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor,
and Kruppel-like zinc finger factors. Although there are no simple rules that govern
mechanisms of transcriptional regulation in stellate cells, continued advances will
yield new insights into their role in normal liver homeostasis and in the response
to injury.
KEYWORD
Acetylation - phosphorylation - DNA-binding - activation domain - liver fibrosis
