NFE2L1 promotes cholesterol excretion

In an article published in Cell, researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and colleagues identified nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 1 (NFE2L1; NRF1) as central to cholesterol homeostasis, suggesting a new target to treat diseases involving disrupted cholesterol metabolism by mitigating toxic effects of excess cholesterol.

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) helps maintain balanced levels of cellular cholesterol. Previous research identified how the ER responds to insufficient cholesterol levels, but the counter-mechanism was unknown. In the current study, the researchers found that ER-bound transcription factor NFE2L1 senses and responds to excess cholesterol levels...