AUTHOR=Zhang Kaisi , Yin Ruonan , Yang Xiaoyong 

TITLE=O-GlcNAc: A Bittersweet Switch in Liver

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=5

YEAR=2014

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2014.00221

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2014.00221

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<p>The liver is a vital organ responsible for maintaining nutrient homeostasis. After a meal, insulin stimulates glycogen and lipid synthesis in the liver; in the fasted state, glucagon induces gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis, which produce glucose and ketone bodies for other tissues to use as energy sources. These metabolic changes involve spatiotemporally co-ordinated signaling cascades. <italic>O</italic>-linked β-<italic>N</italic>-acetylglucosamine (<italic>O</italic>-GlcNAc) modification has been recognized as a nutrient sensor and regulatory molecular switch. This review highlights mechanistic insights into spatiotemporal regulation of liver metabolism by <italic>O</italic>-GlcNAc modification and discusses its pathophysiological implications in insulin resistance, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and fibrosis.</p>