Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy
Published on: January 31, 2025
Recycling the danger via lipid droplet biogenesis after autophagy
Yuan Li1, Wei-Xing Zong2, Wen-Xing Ding1
1a Department of Pharmacology , Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center , Kansas City , KS , USA.
Abstract:
Fatty acids are an important cellular energy source under starvation conditions. However, excessive free fatty acids (FFAs) in the cytoplasm cause lipotoxicity. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which cells mobilize lipids and maintain a homeostatic level of fatty acids. Recent evidence suggests that cells can break down lipid droplets (LDs), the intracellular organelles that store neutral lipids, via PNPLA2/adipose triglyceride lipase and a selective type of macroautophagy/autophagy termed lipophagy, to release FFAs under starvation conditions. FFAs generated from LD catabolism are either transported to mitochondria for β-oxidation or converted back to LDs. The biogenesis of LDs under starvation conditions is mediated by autophagic degradation of membranous organelles and requires diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1, which serves as an adaptive cellular protective mechanism against lipotoxicity.
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