Lipid droplets at a glance

Abstract

Despite the acceleration of progress in LD research and in determining the many links of LDs with prominent diseases, most fundamental questions are not yet resolved. How and where are LDs formed? How are proteins and lipids recruited to LDs? How do they interact with other organelles? How are their number, size and distribution regulated? In addition, new and unexpected connections with other cellular processes and pathologies are being found. Examples include the discovery that LDs play a role in histone storage in early Drosophila melanogaster development, and that LDs are required for efficient replication of intracellular pathogens, such as Chlamydia trachomatis and hepatitis C virus. Further research into LDs has also been sparked by the increased interest in biofuels; because these are mainly oils that are stored in LDs, efforts to manipulate systems to store more triglycerides in these organelles are also likely to benefit from a better understanding of the basic biology of fat storage. These and other questions pose many fascinating biological problems to be solved.