Propranolol-sensitive binding of lipolytic agents to lipid droplets from adipocytes

We established a cell-free system in which epinephrine and other lipolytic agents stimulated lipolysis of endogenous lipid droplets from fat cells by hormone-sensitive lipase. The endogenous lipid droplets were prepared by hypotonic treatment of fat cells and their successive washing with buffer containing 0.025% Triton X-100. In the cell-free system, propranolol inhibited lipolysis induced by various lipolytic agents such as norepinephrine, theophylline and cyclic AMP (cAMP), whereas phenoxybenzamine did not inhibit lipolysis. The binding of these lipolytic agents to endogenous lipid droplets was inhibited by propranolol, but not by phenoxybenzamine. The "propranolol-sensitive" binding of these lipolytic agents to the droplets may be involved in lipolysis. Treatment of the droplets with phospholipase C, but not phospholipase D, inhibited the propranolol-sensitive binding of these lipolytic agents to the droplets. These results suggest that the phosphate group of phospholipid in the droplets may be the site of propranolol-sensitive of binding of theophylline, and cAMP in addition to norepinephrine.