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Updated: Jun 6, 2025

Lipid Droplet Isolation for Quantitative Mass Spectrometry Analysis
Published on: April 17, 2017
Regulation of lipid droplet dynamics and lipid homeostasis by hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase proteins
Bin Liang1, Lin Fu2, Pingsheng Liu3
1Center for Life Sciences, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Cell Metabolism and Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China; Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming 650092, China.
Abstract:
The superfamily of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (HSDs) has been well-characterized as enzymes in lipid metabolism, and especially in steroid hormone metabolism from bacteria to mammals. Recently, a subset of HSDs members, including 3β-HSD, 11β-HSD, and 17β-HSD, have been shown to be lipid droplet (LD)-associated proteins that are involved in LD dynamics beyond their canonical functions. This review summarizes current understanding of these LD-associated HSD proteins, focusing on how they regulate different LDs with respect to distinct neutral lipids including triacylglycerols (TAGs), cholesterol esters (CEs), and retinyl esters (REs), the evolutionally conserved role of some LD-associated 17β-HSDs in preventing lipolysis, and specific targeting of HSDs for the treatment of metabolic diseases and viral infections.
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