Unique regulation of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) by perilipin 5, a lipid droplet-associated protein

Lipolysis is a critical metabolic pathway contributing to energy homeostasis through degradation of triacylglycerides stored in lipid droplets (LDs), releasing fatty acids. Neutral lipid lipases act at the oil/water interface. In mammalian cells, LD surfaces are coated with one or more members of the perilipin protein family, which serve important functions in regulating lipolysis. We investigated mechanisms by which three perilipin proteins control lipolysis by adipocyte triglyceride lipase (ATGL), a key lipase in adipocytes and non-adipose cells. Using a cell culture model, we examined interactions of ATGL and its co-lipase CGI-58 with perilipin 1 (perilipin A), perilipin 2 (adipose differentiation-related protein), and perilipin 5 (LSDP5) using multiple techniques as follows: anisotropy Forster resonance energy transfer, co-immunoprecipitation, [(32)P]orthophosphate radiolabeling, and measurement of lipolysis. The results show that ATGL interacts with CGI-58 and perilipin 5; the latter is selectively expressed in oxidative tissues. Both proteins independently recruited ATGL to the LD surface, but with opposite effects; interaction of ATGL with CGI-58 increased lipolysis, whereas interaction of ATGL with perilipin 5 decreased lipolysis. In contrast, neither perilipin 1 nor 2 interacted directly with ATGL. Activation of protein kinase A (PKA) increased [(32)P]orthophosphate incorporation into perilipin 5 by 2-fold, whereas neither ATGL nor CGI-58 was labeled under the incubation conditions. Cells expressing both ectopic perilipin 5 and ATGL showed a 3-fold increase in lipolysis following activation of PKA. Our studies establish perilipin 5 as a novel ATGL partner and provide evidence that the protein composition of perilipins at the LD surface regulates lipolytic activity of ATGL.     

Perilipin A mediates the reversible binding of CGI-58 to lipid droplets in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Perilipins, the major structural proteins coating the surfaces of mature lipid droplets of adipocytes, play an important role in the regulation of triacylglycerol storage and hydrolysis. We have used proteomic analysis to identify CGI-58, a member of the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold family of enzymes, as a component of lipid droplets of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CGI-58 mRNA is highly expressed in adipose tissue and testes, tissues that also express perilipins, and at lower levels in liver, skin, kidney, and heart. Both endogenous CGI-58 and an ectopic CGI-58-GFP chimera show diffuse cytoplasmic localization in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, but localize almost exclusively to the surfaces of lipid droplets in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The localization of endogenous CGI-58 was investigated in 3T3-L1 cells stably expressing mutated forms of perilipin using microscopy. CGI-58 binds to lipid droplets coated with perilipin A or mutated forms of perilipin with an intact C-terminal sequence from amino acid 382 to 429, but not to lipid droplets coated with perilipin B or mutated perilipin A lacking this sequence. Immunoprecipitation studies confirmed these findings, but also showed co-precipitation of perilipin B and CGI-58. Remarkably, activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase by the incubation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with isoproterenol and isobutylmethylxanthine disperses CGI-58 from the surfaces of lipid droplets to a cytoplasmic distribution. This shift in subcellular localization can be reversed by the addition of propanolol to the culture medium. Thus, CGI-58 binds to perilipin A-coated lipid droplets in a manner that is dependent upon the metabolic status of the adipocyte and the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

CGI-58 interacts with perilipin and is localized to lipid droplets. Possible involvement of CGI-58 mislocalization in Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome

Lipid droplets (LDs) are a class of ubiquitous cellular organelles that are involved in lipid storage and metabolism. Although the mechanisms of the biogenesis of LDs are still unclear, a set of proteins called the PAT domain family have been characterized as factors associating with LDs. Perilipin, a member of this family, is expressed exclusively in the adipose tissue and regulates the breakdown of triacylglycerol in LDs via its phosphorylation. In this study, we used a yeast two-hybrid system to examine the potential function of perilipin. We found direct interaction between perilipin and CGI-58, a deficiency of which correlated with the pathogenesis of Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome (CDS). Endogenous CGI-58 was distributed predominantly on the surface of LDs in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells, and its expression increased during adipocyte differentiation. Overexpressed CGI-58 tagged with GFP gathered at the surface of LDs and colocalized with perilipin. This interaction seems physiologically important because CGI-58 mutants carrying an amino acid substitution identical to that found in CDS lost the ability to be recruited to LDs. These mutations significantly weakened the binding of CGI-58 with perilipin, indicating that the loss of this interaction is involved in the etiology of CDS. Furthermore, we identified CGI-58 as a binding partner of ADRP, another PAT domain protein expressed ubiquitously, by yeast two-hybrid assay. GFP-CGI-58 expressed in non-differentiated 3T3-L1 or CHO-K1 cells was colocalized with ADRP, and the CGI-58 mutants were not recruited to LDs carrying ADRP, indicating that CGI-58 may also cooperate with ADRP.     

Remodeling of lipid droplets during lipolysis and growth in adipocytes

Synthesis, storage, and turnover of triacylglycerols (TAGs) in adipocytes are critical cellular processes to maintain lipid and energy homeostasis in mammals. TAGs are stored in metabolically highly dynamic lipid droplets (LDs), which are believed to undergo fragmentation and fusion under lipolytic and lipogenic conditions, respectively. Time lapse fluorescence microscopy showed that stimulation of lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes causes progressive shrinkage and almost complete degradation of all cellular LDs but without any detectable fragmentation into micro-LDs (mLDs). However, mLDs were rapidly formed after induction of lipolysis in the absence of BSA in the culture medium that acts as a fatty acid scavenger. Moreover, mLD formation was blocked by the acyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor triacsin C, implicating that mLDs are synthesized de novo in response to cellular fatty acid overload. Using label-free coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy, we demonstrate that LDs grow by transfer of lipids from one organelle to another. Notably, this lipid transfer between closely associated LDs is not a rapid and spontaneous process but rather occurs over several h and does not appear to require physical interaction over large LD surface areas. These data indicate that LD growth is a highly regulated process leading to the heterogeneous LD size distribution within and between individual cells. Our findings suggest that lipolysis and lipogenesis occur in parallel in a cell to prevent cellular fatty acid overflow. Furthermore, we propose that formation of large LDs requires a yet uncharacterized protein machinery mediating LD interaction and lipid transfer.     

SREBP Activation by Antipsychotic- and Antidepressant-Drugs in Cultured Human Liver Cells: Relevance for Metabolic Side-Effects?

Despite the critical roles of intracellular lipid droplets (LDs) in lipid storage and metabolism, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of their functions. Several protein components associated with the surface of LDs have been identified. A major one is perilipin in adipocytes and steroidogenic cells, whereas ADRP in most other cell types. They are loosely grouped as a small protein family sharing a common N-terminal motif, called the PAT domain. Perilipin regulates the breakdown of triacylglycerol in LDs via its phosphorylation. ADRP is characterized as a fatty acid binding protein and involved in lipid uptake and LD formation. For examining the functions of perilipin and ADRP at the molecular level, we performed yeast two-hybrid screening in this study, to find their functional partners. We identified CGI-58, a product of the causal gene of Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome (CDS), as an interactor for both perilipin and ADRP. Specific interaction between CGI-58 and perilipin was confirmed in a GST-pulldown assay and supported by fluorescence microscopic analyses. We further demonstrated that CGI-58 is principally located at the surface of LDs in 3T3-L1 cells, together with perilipin, and its expression is upregulated upon stimulation for adipocyte differentiation. Other than CGI-58, we also identified in yeast two-hybrid screening HSP86 and D52 tumor proteins as binding partners of perilipin, and IRG-47 of ADRP. These factors might be cooperated with perilipin and ADRP, and hence involved in membrane dynamics of LDs as well as the regulation of lipolysis on the surface of LDs.     

Perilipin targets a novel pool of lipid droplets for lipolytic attack by hormone-sensitive lipase

Adipocytes serve as the principal energy reservoir of the body; however, the subcellular organization of the machinery regulating lipid trafficking and metabolism is poorly understood. Mobilization of stored triglyceride is thought be controlled by interactions among intracellular lipases and proteins that coat lipid storage droplets. A major limitation of previous studies of hormone-mediated lipolysis, however, is the use of cultured model adipocytes whose three-dimensional architectures do not resemble those in real adipose tissue. To address this limitation, we investigated the intracellular targeting of perilipin, a major lipid coat protein, and hormone-sensitive lipase in three preparations that exhibit more appropriate morphologies: 3T3-L1 adipocytes grown in three-dimensional matrix, dissociated mature adipocytes from mouse adipose tissue, and adipocytes within intact fat pads. High resolution imaging of native and fluorescently tagged proteins indicate that: 1) perilipin preferentially targets a special class of peripheral lipid storage droplets, but not the major or central lipid storage droplets, 2) the peripheral droplets are the sites of attack by hormone-sensitive lipase, and 3) perilipin and hormone-sensitive lipase are continuously colocalized following lipolytic activation. These results indicate that in white adipose tissue, lipolysis takes place in a specialized subcellular domain that is distinct from the major lipid storage site and is defined by perilipin.     

Proteomic analysis of proteins associated with lipid droplets of basal and lipolytically stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Adipocytes hold the body's major energy reserve as triacylglycerols packaged in large lipid droplets. Perilipins, the most abundant proteins on these lipid droplets, play a critical role in facilitating both triacylglycerol storage and hydrolysis. The stimulation of lipolysis by beta-adrenergic agonists triggers rapid phosphorylation of perilipin and translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase to the surfaces of lipid droplets and more gradual fragmentation and dispersion of micro-lipid droplets. Because few lipid droplet-associated proteins have been identified in adipocytes, we isolated lipid droplets from basal and lipolytically stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and identified the component proteins by mass spectrometry. Structural proteins identified in both preparations include perilipin, S3-12, vimentin, and TIP47; in contrast, adipophilin, caveolin-1, and tubulin selectively localized to droplets in lipolytically stimulated cells. Lipid metabolic enzymes identified in both preparations include hormone-sensitive lipase, lanosterol synthase, NAD(P)-dependent steroid dehydrogenase-like protein, acyl-CoA synthetase, long chain family member (ACSL) 1, and CGI-58. 17-beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, type 7, was identified only in basal preparations, whereas ACSL3 and 4 and two short-chain reductase/dehydrogenases were identified on droplets from lipolytically stimulated cells. Additionally, both preparations contained FSP27, ribophorin I, EHD2, diaphorase I, and ancient ubiquitous protein. Basal preparations contained CGI-49, whereas lipid droplets from lipolytically stimulated cells contained several Rab GTPases and tumor protein D54. A close association of mitochondria with lipid droplets was suggested by the identification of pyruvate carboxylase, prohibitin, and a subunit of ATP synthase in the preparations. Thus, adipocyte lipid droplets contain specific structural proteins as well as lipid metabolic enzymes; the structural reorganization of lipid droplets in response to the hormonal stimulation of lipolysis is accompanied by increases in the relative mass of several proteins and the recruitment of additional proteins.     

CGI-58在动物脂类代谢中的作用

细胞中脂滴(Lipid droplets, LDs)表面存在多个调控脂肪储存和分解的蛋白, 这些蛋白对机体的脂肪代谢起着很重要的调控作用。CGI-58(Comparative gene identification-58)分布在LDs表面, 属于α/β水解酶折叠家族, 是脂肪甘油三酯脂肪酶(Adipose triglyceride lipase, ATGL)和依赖酰基辅酶A溶血磷脂酸酰基转移酶(Lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase, LPAAT)的激活剂。在脂肪分解过程中, CGI-58结合PAT蛋白家族成员之一的脂滴包被蛋白(Perlipin)和ATGL, 促进脂肪分解, 同时CGI-58对ATGL的激活功能受脂滴包被蛋白家族成员间蛋白质与蛋白质相互作用的影响。文章结合国内外研究热点, 针对CGI-58在动物脂类代谢中的作用进行了综述。     

Adipose triglyceride lipase-mediated lipolysis of cellular fat stores is activated by CGI-58 and defective in Chanarin-Dorfman Syndrome

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) was recently identified as an important triacylglycerol (TG) hydrolase promoting the catabolism of stored fat in adipose and nonadipose tissues. We now demonstrate that efficient ATGL enzyme activity requires activation by CGI-58. Mutations in the human CGI-58 gene are associated with Chanarin-Dorfman Syndrome (CDS), a rare genetic disease where TG accumulates excessively in multiple tissues. CGI-58 interacts with ATGL, stimulating its TG hydrolase activity up to 20-fold. Alleles of CGI-58 carrying point mutations associated with CDS fail to activate ATGL. Moreover, CGI-58/ATGL coexpression attenuates lipid accumulation in COS-7 cells. Antisense RNA-mediated reduction of CGI-58 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes inhibits TG mobilization. Finally, expression of functional CGI-58 in CDS fibroblasts restores lipolysis and reverses the abnormal TG accumulation typical for CDS. These data establish an important biochemical function for CGI-58 in the lipolytic degradation of fat, implicating this lipolysis activator in the pathogenesis of CDS.     

脂滴包被蛋白(perilipin)调控脂肪分解

脂滴包被蛋白（perilipin）包被在脂肪细胞和甾体生成细胞脂滴表面。基础状态下perilipin可减少甘油三酯水解,使其贮备增加;脂肪分解时磷酸化的perilipin能促进甘油三酯水解,而且该蛋白对激素敏感脂酶从胞浆向脂滴转位是必需的。据推测,perilipin可能在脂肪分解调控中起到“分子开关”的作用。蛋白激酶A（PKA）、细胞外信号调节激酶（ERK）等信号转导通路参与了脂肪分解。肿瘤坏死因子仅（TNFα）、过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ（PPAγ）激动剂、瘦素（leptin）均可以影响perilipin的表达。新近研究表明,perilipin可通过蛋白酶体途径来调节其蛋白量的表达。脂肪分解调控中的关键蛋白perilipin可以和2型糖尿病、肥胖、动脉粥样硬化等多种代谢性疾病及心血管疾病联系起来。     

Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome: Deficiency in CGI-58, a lipid droplet-bound coactivator of lipase

Chanarin–Dorfman syndrome (CDS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease of lipid metabolism; it is associated with congenital ichthyosis typed as non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (NCIE). CDS is characterized by the presence of an abnormally large number of cytosolic lipid droplets containing triacylglycerol (TG) in various tissues such as the skin, liver, and leukocytes. Mutations in the CGI-58 (also called ABHD5) gene encoding a 39-kDa protein of the α/β hydrolase domain subfamily have been shown to be responsible for this disorder. In adipocytes, CGI-58 is involved in TG degradation on lipid droplets; in doing so, it coordinates with several lipolytic factors including perilipin, a member of the PAT protein family, and ATGL, a putative rate-limiting lipase in adipocytes. In quiescent adipocytes, CGI-58 interacts with perilipin on the surfaces of lipid droplets. Upon hormonal stimulation, CGI-58 facilitates massive lipolysis by activating ATGL. Some CGI-58 mutations found in CDS patients cancel the ability to interact with perilipin or activate ATGL, indicating that the loss of these interactions is physiologically important. However, based on the tissue distributions of these lipolytic factors, there are likely multiple molecular targets of CGI-58 actions. This in turn gives rise to the multiple phenotypes of CDS, such as ichthyosis, liver steatosis, or neurosensory diseases.     

Cardiotrophin-1 stimulates lipolysis through the regulation of main adipose tissue lipases

Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) is a cytokine with antiobesity properties and with a role in lipid metabolism regulation and adipose tissue function. The aim of this study was to analyze the molecular mechanisms involved in the lipolytic actions of CT-1 in adipocytes. Recombinant CT-1 (rCT-1) effects on the main proteins and signaling pathways involved in the regulation of lipolysis were evaluated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in mice. rCT-1 treatment stimulated basal glycerol release in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. rCT-1 (20 ng/ml for 24 h) raised cAMP levels, and in parallel increased protein kinase (PK)A-mediated phosphorylation of perilipin and hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) at Ser660. siRNA knock-down of HSL or PKA, as well as pretreatment with the PKA inhibitor H89, blunted the CT-1-induced lipolysis, suggesting that the lipolytic action of CT-1 in adipocytes is mainly mediated by activation of HSL through the PKA pathway. In ob/ob mice, acute rCT-1 treatment also promoted PKA-mediated phosphorylation of perilipin and HSL at Ser660 and Ser563, and increased adipose triglyceride lipase (desnutrin) content in adipose tissue. These results showed that the ability of CT-1 to regulate the activity of the main lipases underlies the lipolytic action of this cytokine in vitro and in vivo, and could contribute to CT-1 antiobesity effects.     

Dynamics of lipid droplet-associated proteins during hormonally stimulated lipolysis in engineered adipocytes: stabilization and lipid droplet binding of adipocyte differentiation-related protein/adipophilin

In mature adipocytes, triglyceride is stored within lipid droplets, which are coated with the protein perilipin, which functions to regulate lipolysis by controlling lipase access to the droplet in a hormone-regulatable fashion. Adipocyte differentiation-related protein (ADRP) is a widely expressed lipid droplet binding protein that is coexpressed with perilipin in differentiating fat cells but is minimally present in fully differentiated cultured adipocytes. We find that fibroblasts ectopically expressing C/EBPalpha (NIH-C/EBPalpha cells) differentiate into mature adipocytes that simultaneously express perilipin and ADRP. In response to isoproterenol, perilipin is hyperphosphorylated, lipolysis is enhanced, and subsequently, ADRP expression increases coincident with it surrounding intracellular lipid droplets. In the absence of lipolytic stimulation, inhibition of proteasomal activity with MG-132 increased ADRP levels to those of cells treated with 10 mum isoproterenol, but ADRP does not surround the lipid droplet in the absence of lipolytic stimulation. We overexpressed a perilipin A construct in NIH-C/EBPalpha cells where the six serine residues known to be phosphorylated by protein kinase A were changed to alanine (Peri A Delta1-6). These cells show no increase in ADRP expression in response to isoproterenol. We propose that ADRP can replace perilipin on existing lipid droplets or those newly formed as a result of fatty acid reesterification, under dynamic conditions of hormonally stimulated lipolysis, thus preserving lipid droplet morphology/structure.     

Regulation of adipocyte lipolysis by degradation of the perilipin protein: nelfinavir enhances lysosome-mediated perilipin proteolysis

A decrease in the lipid droplet-associated protein perilipin may constitute a mechanism for enhanced adipocyte lipolysis under nonstimulated (basal) conditions, and increased basal lipolysis has been linked to whole body metabolic dysregulation. Here we investigated whether the lipolytic actions of the human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor, nelfinavir, are mediated by decreased perilipin protein content and studied the mechanisms by which it occurs. Time course analysis revealed that the decrease in perilipin protein content preceded the increase in lipolysis. A causative relationship was suggested by demonstrating that nelfinavir potently increased lipolysis in adipocytes derived from mouse embryonal fibroblasts expressing perilipin but not in mouse embryonal fibroblast adipocytes devoid of perilipin and that adenoviral mediated overexpression of perilipin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes blocked the lipolytic actions of nelfinavir. Nelfinavir did not alter mRNA content of perilipin but rather decreased perilipin proteins t((1/2)) from >70 to 12 h. Protein degradation of perilipin in both control and nelfinavir-treated adipocytes could be prevented by inhibiting lysosomal proteolysis using leupeptin or NH(4)Cl but not by the proteasome inhibitor MG-132. We propose that proteolysis of perilipin involving the lysosomal protein degradation machinery may constitute a novel mechanism for enhancing adipocyte lipolysis.     

Differential control of ATGL-mediated lipid droplet degradation by CGI-58 and G0S2

Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular storage sites for triacylglyerols (TAGs) and steryl esters, and play essential roles in energy metabolism and membrane biosynthesis. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is the key enzyme for TAG hydrolysis (lipolysis) in adipocytes and LD degradation in nonadipocyte cells. Lipase activity of ATGL in vivo largely depends on its C-terminal sequence as well as coactivation by CGI-58. Here we demonstrate that the C-terminal hydrophobic domain in ATGL is required for LD targeting and CGI-58-independent LD degradation. Overexpression of wild type ATGL causes a dramatic decrease in LD size and number, whereas a mutant lacking the hydrophobic domain fails to localize to LDs and to affect their morphology. Interestingly, coexpression of CGI-58 is able to promote LD turnover mediated by this ATGL mutant. Recently we have discovered that G0S2 acts as an inhibitor of ATGL activity and ATGL-mediated lipolysis. Here we show that G0S2 binds to ATGL irrelevantly of its activity state or the presence of CGI-58. In G0S2-expressing cells, the combined expression of CGI-58 and ATGL is incapable of stimulating LD turnover. We propose that CGI-58 and G0S2 regulate ATGL via non-competing mechanisms.     

脂肪组织甘油三酯水解酶参与脂肪分解调控

循环中游离脂肪酸增高与肥胖、胰岛素抵抗和2型糖尿病密切相关,其主要来源于脂肪细胞内甘油三酯水解.调控脂肪分解的脂肪酶主要包括激素敏感脂肪酶(hormone-sensitive lipase,HSL)和最近发现的脂肪组织甘油三酯水解酶(adipose triglyceride lipase,ATGL),后者主要分布在脂肪组织,特异水解甘油三酯为甘油二酯,其转录水平受多种因素调控.CGI-58(属于α/β水解酶家族蛋白),可以活化ATGL,基础条件下该蛋白和脂滴包被蛋白(perilipin)紧密结合于脂滴表面,蛋白激酶A激活刺激脂肪分解时,CGI-58与perilipin分离,进而活化ATGL.     

The lipolytic stimulation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes promotes the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase to the surfaces of lipid storage droplets

Hormone-sensitive lipase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the release of fatty acids from triacylglycerol-rich lipid storage droplets of adipocytes, which contain the body's major energy reserves. Hormonal stimulation of cAMP formation and the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase leads to the phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase and a large increase in lipolysis in adipocytes. By contrast, phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase by the kinase in vitro results in a comparatively minor increase in catalytic activity. In this study, we investigate the basis for this discrepancy by using immunofluorescence microscopy to locate hormone-sensitive lipase in lipolytically stimulated and unstimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In unstimulated cells, hormone-sensitive lipase is diffusely distributed throughout the cytosol. Upon stimulation of cells with the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, isoproterenol, hormone-sensitive lipase translocates from the cytosol to the surfaces of intracellular lipid droplets concomitant with the onset of lipolysis, as measured by the release of glycerol to the culture medium. Both hormone-sensitive lipase translocation and lipolysis are reversed by the incubation of cells with the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol. The treatment of cells with cycloheximide fails to inhibit lipase translocation or lipolysis, indicating that the synthesis of nascent proteins is not required. Cytochalasin D and nocodazole used singly and in combination also failed to have a major effect, thus suggesting that the polymerization of microfilaments and microtubules and the formation of intermediate filament networks is unnecessary. Hormone-sensitive lipase translocation and lipolysis were inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide and a combination of deoxyglucose and sodium azide. We propose that the major consequence of the phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase following the lipolytic stimulation of adipocytes is the translocation of the lipase from the cytosol to the surfaces of lipid storage droplets.     

Effect of epinephrine and other lipolytic agents on intracellular lipolysis and lipoprotein lipase activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

3T3-L1 adipocytes were used to test the hypothesis that hormone-sensitive lipolysis and lipoprotein lipase activity might be regulated in a reciprocal manner. Intracellular lipolysis was stimulated by catecholamine, dibutyryl cAMP, and ACTH, but not by glucagon. The effects of epinephrine on lipolysis were blocked by the beta-antagonist propanolol but not by the alpha-antagonist phentolamine. Hormone-stimulated lipolysis was not changed by acute (45 min) or chronic (2 days) treatment of the cells with insulin whereas the latter treatment augmented lipoprotein lipase activity about fivefold. Epinephrine did not affect the lipoprotein lipase activity of insulin-stimulated cells. Withdrawal of glucose from the medium decreased lipoprotein lipase activity and the effect of epinephrine on lipolysis. Effects of lipolytic agents on activity of lipoprotein lipase were variable and concentration-dependent. Lipoprotein lipase activity was decreased only by concentrations of epinephrine greater than those inducing maximal intracellular lipolysis, and the decrease in activity occurred about 30 min after the increase in glycerol release. There seems to be no relationship between the level of activity of lipoprotein lipase and the maximal rate of hormone-stimulated lipolysis in 3T3-L1 cells. Unlike in adipose tissue and adipocytes of rats, hormone-stimulated lipolysis and lipoprotein lipase activity in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes appear to be regulated independently.     

Cytoplasmic receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) interacts with perilipin to regulate lipolysis

Receptor-interacting protein 140 (RIP140) is abundantly expressed in mature adipocyte and modulates gene expression involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. Protein kinase C epsilon and protein arginine methyltransferase 1 can sequentially stimulate RIP140 phosphorylation and then methylation, thereby promoting its export to the cytoplasm. Here we report a lipid signal triggering cytoplasmic accumulation of RIP140, and a new functional role for cytoplasmic RIP140 in adipocyte to regulate lipolysis. Increased lipid content, particularly an elevation in diacylglycerol levels, promotes RIP140 cytoplasmic accumulation and increased association with lipid droplets (LDs) by its direct interaction with perilipin. By interacting with RIP140, perilipin more efficiently recruits hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) to LDs and enhances adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) forming complex with CGI-58, an activator of ATGL. Consequentially, HSL can more readily access its substrates, and ATGL is activated, ultimately enhancing lipolysis. In adipocytes, blocking cytoplasmic RIP140 accumulation reduces basal and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis and the pro-inflammatory potential of their conditioned media (i.e. activating NF-κB and inflammatory genes in macrophages). These results show that in adipocytes with high lipid contents, RIP140 increasingly accumulates in the cytoplasm and enhances triglyceride catabolism by directly interacting with perilipin. The study suggests that reducing nuclear export of RIP140 might be a useful means of controlling adipocyte lipolysis.     

Temporal and spatial variations of lipid droplets during adipocyte division and differentiation

By capturing time-lapse images of primary stromal-vascular cells (SVCs) derived from rat mesenteric adipose tissue, we revealed temporal and spatial variations of lipid droplets (LDs) in individual SVCs during adipocyte differentiation. Numerous small LDs (a few micrometers in diameter) appeared in the perinuclear region at an early stage of differentiation; subsequently, several LDs grew to more than 10 microm in diameter and occupied the cytoplasm. We have developed a method for the fluorescence staining of LDs in living adipocytes. Time-lapse observation of the stained cells at higher magnification showed that nascent LDs (several 100 nm in diameter) grew into small LDs while moving from lamellipodia to the perinuclear region. We also found that adipocytes are capable of division and that they evenly distribute the LDs between two daughter cells. Immunofluorescence observations of LD-associated proteins revealed that such cell divisions of SVCs occurred even after LDs were coated with perilipin, suggesting that the "final" cell division during adipocyte differentiation occurs considerably later than that characterized in 3T3-L1 cells. Our time-lapse observations have provided a detailed account of the morphological changes that SVCs undergo during adipocyte division and differentiation.