The role of lipins in innate immunity and inflammation

Lipins are phosphatidic acid phosphatase enzymes whose cellular function in regulating lipid metabolism has been known for decades, particularly in metabolically active tissues such as adipose tissue or liver. In recent years evidence is accumulating for key regulatory roles of the lipin family in innate immune cells. Lipins may help regulate signaling through relevant immune receptors such as Toll-like receptors, and are also integral part of the cellular machinery for lipid storage in these cells, thereby modulating certain inflammatory processes. Mutations in genes that encode for members of this family produce autoinflammatory hereditary diseases or diseases with an important inflammatory component in humans. In this review we summarize recent findings on the role of lipins in cells of the innate immune system and in the onset and progress of inflammatory processes.