Control of fatty acid and glycerol release in adipose tissue lipolysis

Adipose tissue lipolysis is the catabolic process leading to the breakdown of triglycerides stored in fat cells and the release of fatty acids and glycerol. Recent work has revealed that lipolysis is not a simple metabolic pathway stimulated by catecholamines and inhibited by insulin. New discoveries on the regulation of lipolysis by endocrine and paracrine factors and on the proteins involved in triglyceride hydrolysis have led to a reappraisal of the complexity of the various signal transduction pathways. The steps involved in the dysregulation of lipolysis observed in obesity have partly been identified.