The Roles of Zinc Finger Proteins in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

ABSTRACT Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation in hepatocytes in the absence of alcohol consumption. Modern trends towards excessive calorie intake and sedentary life styles have increased the prevalence of NAFLD accompanied by obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of NAFLD are not clear. Zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) are a superfamily of metalloproteins that contain zinc finger motifs. ZFPs play diverse physiological roles in tissue homeostasis and also contribute to many pathological conditions, including metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases and various types of cancer. In this review, we highlight our current knowledge of several ZFPs that play critical roles in the progression of NAFLD, describe their mechanistic functional networks, and discuss the potential for ZFPs as therapeutic targets for NAFLD.