Lipolysis – A highly regulated multi-enzyme complex mediates the catabolism of cellular fat stores

By A. Lass, R. Zimmermann, M. Oberer, R. Zechner. Progress in lipid research, 2011

631 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Summary Lipolysis is the biochemical pathway responsible for the catabolism of triacylglycerol (TAG) stored in cellular lipid droplets. The hydrolytic cleavage of TAG generates non-esterified fatty acids, which are subsequently used as energy substrates, essential precursors for lipid and membrane synthesis, or mediators in cell signaling processes. Consistent with its central importance in lipid and energy homeostasis, lipolysis occurs in essentially all tissues and cell types, it is most abundant, however, in white and brown adipose tissue. Over the last 5 years, important enzymes and regulatory protein factors involved in lipolysis have been identified. These include an essential TAG hydrolase named adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) [annotated as patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein A2], the ATGL activator comparative gene identification-58 [annotated as α/β hydrolase containing protein 5], and the ATGL inhibitor G0/G1 switch gene 2. Together with the established hormone-sensitive lipase [annotated as lipase E] and monoglyceride lipase, these proteins constitute the basic “lipolytic machinery”. Additionally, a large number of hormonal signaling pathways and lipid droplet-associated protein factors regulate substrate access and the activity of the “lipolysome”. This review summarizes the current knowledge concerning the enzymes and regulatory processes governing lipolysis of fat stores in adipose and non-adipose tissues. Special emphasis will be given to ATGL, its regulation, and physiological function.

Subfields: Biochemistry, Physiology, Surgery

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/78840ac8b0bebcfc1481821f93a716f63132a57e

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Biochemistry

1. R. Zechner
2. Erika L. Pearce
3. Edward J. Pearce
4. Frank Madeo

In Physiology

1. R. Zechner
2. R. Zimmermann
3. Erika L. Pearce
4. A. Lass
5. Edward J. Pearce
6. Michael D. Buck

In Surgery

1. Erika L. Pearce
2. Michael D. Buck

Citations in the corpus

• Memory CD8+ T cells use cell intrinsic lipolysis to support the metabolic programming necessary for development (2014, background): “Consistent with the importance of lipolysis in energy homeostasis, it is thought to occur in all cell types, but is most abundant in adipose tissue, where the release of stored fats into the vasculature supplies energy substrates to other cells (Lass et al., 2011; Zechner et al., 2012).”
• FAT SIGNALS - Lipases and Lipolysis in Lipid Metabolism and Signaling (2012, background): “Other kinases, including AMPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, glycogen synthase kinase-4, and Ca/calmodulin-dependent kinase, also phosphorylate HSL to modulate its enzyme activity (Lass et al., 2011).”