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Review
. 2017 Oct 6:33:491-510.
doi: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100616-060608. Epub 2017 Aug 9.

Lipid Droplet Biogenesis

Tobias C Walther  1   2   3   4 , Jeeyun Chung  1   2 , Robert V Farese Jr  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Lipid Droplet Biogenesis

Tobias C Walther et al. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. .

Abstract

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous organelles that store neutral lipids for energy or membrane synthesis and act as hubs for metabolic processes. Cells generate LDs de novo, converting cells to emulsions with LDs constituting the dispersed oil phase in the aqueous cytoplasm. Here we review our current view of LD biogenesis. We present a model of LD formation from the ER in distinct steps and highlight the biology of proteins that govern this biophysical process. Areas of incomplete knowledge are identified, as are connections with physiology and diseases linked to alterations in LD biology.

Keywords: biogenesis; endoplasmic reticulum; lipid droplets; neutral lipids; seipin; sterol esters; triacylglycerol; triglycerides.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Lipid droplets (LDs): cellular organelles for neutral lipid storage. (a) Fluorescence microscopy image showing LDs (green, stained with BODIPY 493/503) in mammalian SUM159 cells. This cell was transfected with the LD marker mCherry-LiveDrop (red). (b) Electron micrograph showing a monolayer-bound LD in Drosophila S2 cells. The ribosome-studded ER bilayer can be seen in close proximity. Image courtesy of Yi Guo (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN). (c) Schematic representation of the structural composition of an LD. Colored objects represent LD surface-bound proteins localized to the phospholipid monolayer. Triacylglycerols and sterol esters are found in the neutral lipid core.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Model of steps of lipid droplet (LD) formation and expansion. Abbreviations: DGAT, diacylglycerol acyltransferase; eLD, expanding LD; iLD, initial LD; TG, triacylglycerol.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Mechanisms for targeting of proteins to lipid droplet (LD) surfaces during LD formation and growth. Class I proteins, such as GPAT4, are inserted into the ER and from there translocate to the surfaces of LDs either during LD formation or after formation via membrane bridges. Class II proteins, such as CCT1, target from the cytosol via amphipathic helices or other short hydrophobic domains.
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