A comparative perspective on lipid storage in animals

Lipid storage is an evolutionary conserved process that exists in all organisms from simple prokaryotes to humans. In Metazoa, long-term lipid accumulation is restricted to specialized cell types, while a dedicated tissue for lipid storage (adipose tissue) exists only in vertebrates. Excessive lipid accumulation is associated with serious health complications including insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Thus, significant advances have been made over the last decades to dissect out the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in adipose tissue formation and maintenance. Our current understanding of adipose tissue development comes from in vitro cell culture and mouse models, as well as recent approaches to study lipid storage in genetically tractable lower organisms. This Commentary gives a comparative insight into lipid storage in uni- and multi-cellular organisms with a particular emphasis on vertebrate adipose tissue. We also highlight the molecular mechanisms and nutritional signals that regulate the formation of mammalian adipose tissue.