Insights into Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase-1 Regulation of Systemic Metabolism.

Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a central regulator of fuel metabolism and may represent a therapeutic target to control obesity and the progression of related metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes and hepatic steatosis. SCD1 catalyzes the synthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), mainly oleate and palmitoleate, which are important in controlling weight gain in response to feeding high carbohydrate diets. In this review, we evaluate the role of SCD1 isoform in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism in metabolic tissues.