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Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: April 17, 2017
Changing the phospholipid composition of lipid droplets alters localization of select lipid droplet proteins
Timothy J Renier1, Olivia R Paetz1, Matthew C Paal1,2
1Departments of Biology and Chemistry, St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, United States.
Abstract:
Our experiments aim to determine if decreasing the amount of phosphatidylcholine (PC) relative to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) at the lipid droplet surface changes the localization of specific lipid droplet proteins. We manipulate lipid droplet phospholipids in both a cultured mouse hepatocyte (AML12) cell line and on synthetic lipid droplets. Decreasing the PC:PE ratio increases perilipin 2, decreases DGAT2, and does not change rab18 or lanosterol synthase levels on lipid droplets. These differences may be explained by the distinct structural motifs that mediate the protein-lipid droplet interactions.
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