Neuroendocrine Gene Regulation and Body Weight Control: FoxO1 Protein and Transcriptional Regulation

The insulin-regulated transcription factor FoxO1 is a central player in metabolism that integrates various environmental and metabolic cues to generate dynamic gene expression programs. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms involved in FoxO1's effects in hypothalamic neurons and the inherent implications for physiopathologic processes in energy homeostasis. Particular emphasis is placed on the emerging body of evidence pointing to a multi- layered control of melanocortinergic tone by FoxO1 in concert with the leptin-induced transcriptional activator Stat3.