Thematic review series: Lipid droplet synthesis and metabolism: from yeast to man. Lipid droplet-based storage fat metabolism in Drosophila.

Lipid Droplet-based Storage Fat Metabolism in Drosophila

PERILIPIN-dependent control of lipid droplet structure and fat storage in Drosophila.

Lipid droplets are intracellular organelles enriched in adipose tissue that govern the body fat stores of animals. In mammals, members of the evolutionarily conserved PERILIPIN protein family are associated with the lipid droplet surface and participate in lipid homeostasis. Here, we show that Drosophila mutants lacking the PERILIPIN PLIN1 are hyperphagic and suffer from adult-onset obesity. PL...

Lipin is a central regulator of adipose tissue development and function in Drosophila melanogaster.

Lipins are evolutionarily conserved proteins found from yeasts to humans. Mammalian and yeast lipin proteins have been shown to control gene expression and to enzymatically convert phosphatidate to diacylglycerol, an essential precursor in triacylglcerol (TAG) and phospholipid synthesis. Loss of lipin 1 in the mouse, but not in humans, leads to lipodystrophy and fatty liver disease. Here we sho...

Drosophila Spidey/Kar Regulates Oenocyte Growth via PI3-Kinase Signaling

Cell growth and proliferation depend upon many different aspects of lipid metabolism. One key signaling pathway that is utilized in many different anabolic contexts involves Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and its membrane lipid products, the Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphates. It remains unclear, however, which other branches of lipid metabolism interact with the PI3K signaling ...

Tissue-Autonomous Function of Drosophila Seipin in Preventing Ectopic Lipid Droplet Formation

Obesity is characterized by accumulation of excess body fat, while lipodystrophy is characterized by loss or absence of body fat. Despite their opposite phenotypes, these two conditions both cause ectopic lipid storage in non-adipose tissues, leading to lipotoxicity, which has health-threatening consequences. The exact mechanisms underlying ectopic lipid storage remain elusive. Here we report t...