Lipid Droplet Contact Sites in Health and Disease

After having been disregarded for a long time as inert fat drops, lipid droplets (LDs) are now recognized as ubiquitous cellular organelles with key functions in lipid biology and beyond. The identification of abundant LD contact sites, places at which LDs are physically attached to other organelles, has uncovered an unexpected level of communication between LDs and the rest of the cell. In recent years, many disease factors mutated in hereditary disorders have been recognized as LD contact site proteins. Furthermore, LD contact sites are dramatically rearranged in response to infections with intracellular pathogens, as well as under pathological metabolic conditions such as hepatic steatosis. Collectively, it is emerging that LD?organelle contacts are important players in development and progression of disease.

Automated summary

Lipid droplets, once seen as inert fat drops, are now recognized as vital organelles with key functions in lipid biology and cellular communication. Diseases factors mutated in hereditary disorders have been linked to LD contact site proteins, indicating the importance of LD-organelle contacts in disease development and progression. Additionally, LD contact sites are dynamically rearranged in response to infections and pathological metabolic conditions, suggesting their crucial role in disease pathways.