Cover

Activating signal cointegrator-2 (ASC-2) functions as a transcriptional coactivator of many nuclear receptors and also plays important roles in the physiology of the liver and pancreas by interacting with liver X receptors (LXRs). Intriguingly, ASC-2 was more highly expressed in macrophages than in the liver and pancreas. Suppression of the LXR-specific activity of ASC-2 by using a LXR-specific dominant-negative mutant of ASC-2 results in both defective cholesterol metabolism in macrophages and accelerated atherogenesis. Therefore, ASC-2 functions as an anti-atherogenic coactivator of LXRs in macrophages. From the article in this issue by Kim et al. pages 966–974.

The editors thank Dr. Ron Smith, Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, TX, for collaborating with the authors to create the figure on the cover.