Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Isolation of Cellular Lipid Droplets: Two Purification Techniques Starting from Yeast Cells and Human Placentas
Published on: April 1, 2014
Function of lipid droplet-organelle interactions in lipid homeostasis
Antonio Daniel Barbosa1, Symeon Siniossoglou1
1Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Wellcome Trust/MRC Building, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Storage of non-polar lipids in ubiquitous eukaryotic organelles, lipid droplets (LDs), prevents the toxic consequences of unesterified fatty acids and provides a lipid reservoir that can be promptly used to satisfy cellular needs under multiple metabolic and physiological conditions. Tight temporal and spatial control of LD biogenesis and mobilization of neutral lipids is essential for the correct channelling of lipid intermediates to their various cellular destinations and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. These functions are mediated by multiple interactions between LDs and other intracellular organelles that are required for the delivery of stored lipids. Here we review recent advances in the interactions of LDs with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondria and vacuole/lysosome. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Membrane Contact Sites edited by Christian Ungermann and Benoit Kornmann.
Related Concept Videos
What are Lipids?
Membrane Fluidity
Membrane Fluidity
Mosaic nature of the membrane
The mosaic characteristic of the membrane helps the plasma membrane remain fluid. The integral proteins and lipids exist as separate but loosely-attached molecules in the membrane. The membrane is a relatively...
Membrane Domains
Protein Domains
The membrane comprises a group of distinct proteins responsible for carrying out a cell's specific function. For example, the plasma membrane of the human sperm, or a single germ cell, contains a unique set of proteins in the anterior...
What are Lipids?
Non-Polar and Hydrophobic Characteristics of Lipids
Lipids are a structurally and functionally diverse group of hydrocarbons—compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds...
Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin, delayed...

