Mitochondrial and Lipid Droplet Dynamics Regulate Intra- and Intercellular Fatty Acid Trafficking

Abstract

Imaging of fatty acid (FA) trafficking revealed that FAs stored in lipid droplets were delivered to mitochondria when the cells were starved. This delivery required cytoplasmic lipases and mitochondrial fusion activity, whereas lipid droplets were replenished with FAs supplied by autophagy. These findings have important implications for cancer.

Keywords

• autophagy
• fatty acid
• lipase
• lipid droplet
• lipophagy
• mfn1
• mitochondria
• opa1
• tumor metabolism
• tumor-stroma interactions