This family consists of several thyroid hormone-inducible hepatic protein (Spot 14 or S14) sequences. Mainly expressed in tissues that synthesise triglycerides, the mRNA coding for Spot 14 has been shown to be increased in rat liver by insulin, dietary carbohydrates, glucose in hepatocyte culture medium, as well as thyroid hormone. In contrast, dietary fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids, have been shown to decrease the amount of Spot 14 mRNA, while an elevated level of cAMP acts as a dominant negative factor. In addition, liver-specific factors or chromatin organisation of the gene have been shown to contribute to the regulation of its expression [1]. Spot 14 protein is thought to be required for induction of hepatic lipogenesis [2].

1: Cloning and initial characterization of human and mouse Spot 14 genes. Grillasca JP, Gastaldi M, Khiri H, Dace A, Peyrol N, Reynier P, Torresani J, Planells R; FEBS Lett 1997;401:38-42. PMID:9003802

2: Spot 14 gene deletion increases hepatic de novo lipogenesis. Zhu Q, Mariash A, Margosian MR, Gopinath S, Fareed MT, Anderson GW, Mariash CN; Endocrinology 2001;142:4363-4370. PMID:11564699