PCAF fine-tunes hepatic metabolic syndrome, inflammatory disease, and cancer.

The P300/CBP-associating factor (PCAF), a histone acetyltransferase, is involved in metabolic and pathogenic diseases, particularly of the liver. The effects of PCAF on fine-tuning liver diseases are extremely complex and vary according to different pathological conditions. This enzyme has dichotomous functions, depending on differently modified sites, which regulate the activities of various enzymes, metabolic functions, and gene expression. Here, we summarize the most recent findings on the functions and targets of PCAF in various metabolic and immunological processes in the liver and review these new discoveries and models of PCAF biology in three areas: hepatic metabolic syndrome, inflammatory disease, and cancer. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of these findings for therapeutic interventions in liver diseases.