The contribution of the Drosophila model to lipid droplet research

• Published in: Progress in lipid research Vol. 50; no. 4; pp. 348 - 356
• Main Author: Kühnlein, Ronald P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2011
• Subjects: Animals; Carrier Proteins - chemistry; Carrier Proteins - metabolism; Drosophila; Drosophila melanogaster - anatomy & histology; Drosophila melanogaster - chemistry; Drosophila melanogaster - metabolism; Drosophila Proteins - chemistry; Drosophila Proteins - metabolism; Energy Metabolism - physiology; Fat Body - chemistry; Fat Body - metabolism; Fat storage; Homeostasis; Larva - anatomy & histology; Larva - chemistry; Larva - metabolism; Lipid droplet; Lipid Metabolism - physiology; Lipids - chemistry; Models, Animal; Models, Biological; Organelle; Organelles - chemistry; Organelles - metabolism; Organelles - ultrastructure; Perilipin; Perilipin-1; Phosphoproteins - chemistry; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Protein Binding; Proteome - analysis; Proteomics; Refugee proteins; Surface Properties; CRTC; PLIN; LD(s); PTEN; CHO; DHR96; AKH(R); GFP; ATGL/PNPLA2; Organelle; dsRNA; Fat storage; Refugee proteins; PtdIns(3,4,5)-P 3; hnRNP; Lipid droplet; Perilipin; DGAT1; Drosophila; PKA; ABHD5/CGI-58; ATF; SIK; CCT; TOR; COPI; Pi3; TAG
• ISSN: 0163-7827; 1873-2194
• DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2011.04.001

Intracellular lipid droplets have long been misconceived as evolutionarily conserved but functionally frugal components of cellular metabolism. An ever-growing repertoire of functions has elevated lipid droplets to fully-fledged cellular organelles. Insights into the multifariousness of these organelles have been obtained from a range of model systems now employed for lipid droplet research including the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. This review summarizes the progress in fly lipid droplet research along four main avenues: the role of lipid droplets in fat storage homeostasis, the control of lipid droplet structure, the lipid droplet surface as a dynamic protein-association platform, and lipid droplets as mobile organelles. Moreover, the research potential of the fruit fly model is discussed with respect to the prevailing general questions in lipid droplet biology.