Premium
Lipid droplets promote survival of nutrient‐deprived cells
Author(s) -
Cabodevilla Ainara G,
Nintou Eleni,
Gubern Albert,
Claro Enrique
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.933.1
Subject(s) - autophagy , biogenesis , organelle , lipid droplet , intracellular , microbiology and biotechnology , phospholipid , programmed cell death , cell , christian ministry , biology , biochemistry , chemistry , apoptosis , membrane , gene , philosophy , theology
Lipid droplets (LD) are intracellular organelles formed in most eukaryotic cells. They are a core of triacylglycerols (TAG) and choresteryl esters surrounded by a phospholipid monolayer with which a variety of proteins interact. Most of the present knowledge on LD biology is derived from experimental models where cells are loaded with external TAG and/or fatty acids. Little is known, however, about the physiological significance of LD formed under stress and in the absence of external lipids, conditions that lead eventually to cell death. Here we show that cells kept in isotonic buffer devoid of nutrients form LD whose TAG derive from membrane phospholipids in a process that depends on iPLA2 and cPLA2 activities. In this experimental model, inhibition of LD biogenesis accelerates cell death and increases the expression of markers of autophagy. And conversely, inhibition of autophagy increases the occurrence of LD. Taken together, our results show that LD biogenesis under stress has a cell protective role. Supported by BFU2009‐0783 grant from the Spanish Ministry of Science.