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Control of triglyceride storage by a WD40/TPR‐domain protein
Author(s) -
Häder Thomas,
Müller Sandra,
Aguilera Miguel,
Eulenberg Karsten G,
Steuernagel Arnd,
Ciossek Thomas,
Kühnlein Ronald P,
Lemaire Lydia,
Fritsch Rüdiger,
Dohrmann Cord,
Vetter Ingrid R,
Jäckle Herbert,
Doane Winifred W,
Brönner Günter
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.embor837
Subject(s) - biology , tetratricopeptide , mutant , adipose tissue , gene , mutation , microbiology and biotechnology , genetic screen , genetics , biochemistry
Obesity is a metabolic disorder related to improper control of energy uptake and expenditure, which results in excessive accumulation of body fat. Initial insights into the genetic pathways that regulate energy metabolism have been provided by a discrete number of obesity‐related genes that have been identified in mammals. Here, we report the identification of the adipose ( adp ) gene, the mutation of which causes obesity in Drosophila . Loss of adp activity promotes increased fat storage, which extends the lifespan of mutant flies under starvation conditions. By contrast, adp gain‐of‐function causes a specific reduction of the fat body in Drosophila . adp encodes an evolutionarily conserved WD40/tetratricopeptide‐repeat‐domain protein that is likely to represent an intermediate in a novel signalling pathway.