Nutritional Epigenetics

In this chapter, we will present how nutritional molecules can influence the activity and biological function of both transcription factors like nuclear receptors as well as chromatin modifying enzymes. The nuclear receptors PPARs, LXRs and FXR play a central role in sensing fatty acids, oxysterols and bile acids and regulating lipid metabolism. In this way, dietary compounds affect gene regulation and epigenetics. Different epigenetic mechanisms, such as posttranslational histone modifications and DNA methylation, process information provided by dietary molecules. Accordingly, many chromatin modifying enzymes use intermediary metabolites, such as acetyl-CoA, α-ketoglutarate, NAD+ or ATP, as co-substrates and/or cofactors. Finally, we will discuss that rather epigenetic misregulation due to unfavorable lifestyle decision will affect the risk for developing the metabolic syndrome than genetic variations.