A mammalian diploid cell (a cell having two complete sets of chromosomes) expresses ~2 x 10^4 mRNAs (messenger ribonucleic acids) from the genome of 1.40 x 10^5 genes. This well established observation implies the existence of complex mechanisms that selectively transcribe the cell-specific genes within the nucleus and coordinate the transcriptional processes with dynamic events in the extranuclear and extracellular milieu. The analysis of tocotrienol-sensitive changes in the expression of genes, therefore, is opening a window on the responsiveness of complex transcriptional machinery to a natural product. Tocotrienols are vitamin E isomers, and vitamin E tocopherols and tocotrienols are well recognized for their effective inhibition of lipid oxidation in foods and biological systems.