Found in the crystal: phospholipid ligands for nuclear orphan receptors.

Phospholipids are important components of cellular membranes, contributing to their structural integrity and regulatory functions. Because of these functional properties, phospholipids are often the subject of cell biology and signal transduction studies. Proteins that bind and transport phospholipids between membranes have been described and investigated but few scientists would have entertained the thought of phospholipids acting as ligands for transcription factors. However, the surprising results of recent crystallization studies revealed phospholipid ligands in the binding pockets of members of the nuclear orphan receptor family 5. Their ability to alter transcriptional activity by acting as bona fide ligands has been inspirational not only for the transcription factor community, but also for phospholipid researchers.