UCSF

Lipid droplets (LDs) are ubiquitous and dynamic organelles whose major functions are in lipid metabolism. They are unique among organelles because they have a phospholipid monolayer and neutral lipid core. This unique architecture puts unusual biological constraints upon many basic organelle process including biogenesis, protein targeting, and degradation. While they are the focus of much research on the biochemical, cell biological, and physiological levels, many basic questions about LD biology remain unanswered, such as Where and how are LDs formed? What proteins are at the LD and how do they target there? and How are LDs regulated and degraded? Overall, understanding the biology of LDs has broad implications for many human diseases including lipodystrophy, cachexia, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, neutral lipid storage disease, and cancer.