Triacylglycerol Metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Genetics (Austin) Vol. 210; no. 4; pp. 1163 - 1184
• Main Authors: Heier, Christoph, Kühnlein, Ronald P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Genetics Society of America 01-12-2018
• Subjects: Biosynthesis; Body fat; Breakdown; Breakdowns; Carbon; Diet; Energy; Energy balance; Energy conservation; Energy sources; Energy storage; Enzymes; Fatty acids; FlyBook; Fruit flies; Functional integration; Gene expression; Genetics; Homeostasis; Insects; Insulin; Kinases; Lipid metabolism; Lipids; Lipogenesis; Metabolism; Organs; Proteins; Triglycerides; triacylglycerol; FlyBook; lipases; lipid transport; Drosophila fat; lipogenesis; lipolysis
• ISSN: 1943-2631; 0016-6731; 1943-2631
• DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301583

Triacylglycerol (TAG) is the most important caloric source with respect to energy homeostasis in animals. In addition to its evolutionarily conserved importance as an energy source, TAG turnover is crucial to the metabolism of structural and signaling lipids. These neutral lipids are also key players in development and disease. Here, we review the metabolism of TAG in the
model system. Recently, the fruit fly has attracted renewed attention in research due to the unique experimental approaches it affords in studying the tissue-autonomous and interorgan regulation of lipid metabolism
Following an overview of the systemic control of fly body fat stores, we will cover lipid anabolic, enzymatic, and regulatory processes, which begin with the dietary lipid breakdown and
lipogenesis that results in lipid droplet storage. Next, we focus on lipolytic processes, which mobilize storage TAG to make it metabolically accessible as either an energy source or as a building block for biosynthesis of other lipid classes. Since the buildup and breakdown of fat involves various organs, we highlight avenues of lipid transport, which are at the heart of functional integration of organismic lipid metabolism. Finally, we draw attention to some "missing links" in basic neutral lipid metabolism and conclude with a perspective on how fly research can be exploited to study functional metabolic roles of diverse lipids.