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University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, MC-182, 905 S Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, E-mail: mtnakamu{at}uiuc.edu
It is essential for survival that organisms, from bacteria to humans, regulate their metabolism in accordance with nutrient availability. Thus, nutrient-gene interactions are widespread, ancient features across species. However, we have only recently started uncovering the mechanism by which mammals sense nutrient status and regulate their metabolism accordingly. Developments in the field of nutrient-gene interactions have exploded in the past decade. Nutrient-Gene Interactions in Health and Disease is a collection of the new advancements in this rapidly expanding field.
The book consists of 18 chapters, each of which covers a different topic: 11 chapters on fatty acid and energy metabolism, 4 on fat-soluble vitamins, 2 on minerals, and 1 on alcohol. Four chapters discuss the genes that are involved with fatty acid metabolism, namely fatty acid synthase, stearoyl–CoA desaturase, acyl–CoA synthase, and fatty acid transporters. Each chapter presents current knowledge on the regulation of these genes by nutrients and hormones. In particular, recent developments indicate the mechanisms by which fatty acids regulate their own metabolism. For example, fatty acids induce target genes by acting as a ligand of transcription factors, such as peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptors. Three chapters cover topics from adipocyte development and metabolism (specifically, the regulation of adipocyte differentiation), to the role of fatty acids in that process, and to a glucose effect on the transport of fatty acids in adipocytes. Two other chapters discuss the effects of genetic defects on energy metabolism: one discusses the effects of mutations in prohormone processing and the other discusses the agouti gene mutation and subsequent development of obesity. On the basis of the observations on the agouti gene mutation, Zemel et al propose a provocative hypothesis that low calcium intake may contribute to the development of obesity in humans. Another chapter discusses recent developments concerning isomers of uncoupling proteins 2 and 3, whose role in energy metabolism remains enigmatic. The role of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in tumorigenesis is also reviewed.
Vitamins A and D act as ligands of nuclear receptors and activate the transcription of target genes. Two chapters on vitamin A cover the regulation of nuclear and mitochondrial gene expression. The essential role of vitamin D in calcium absorption has been well established, and the molecular mechanism of vitamin D action has started to become clear. Norman and Collins present a well-written overview of this topic in another chapter. Another fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin E, affects gene expression by a mechanism different from that associated with vitamins A and D. This mechanism is attributable to the antioxidative properties of vitamin E. Two chapters address minerals; one addresses the expression of selenoproteins and the other addresses ferritin expression in the brain. Another chapter deals with the effects of alcohol on gene expression in the brain.
This book is a delightful addition to the CRC Series in Modern Nutrition and is especially useful for broadening the view of researchers in the nutritional sciences beyond their immediate interests. The book is also suitable for deepening the knowledge of clinicians and nutrition professionals about the biochemical and molecular bases of nutrient function. However, readers should note that the field of nutrient-gene interactions is still in its early stage of development, despite its explosive development in recent years. Therefore, most of the information in this book is like an unfinished jigsaw puzzle. Finding an answer often generates more questions because the horizon keeps expanding.