DGAT1-Dependent Lipid Droplet Biogenesis Protects Mitochondrial Function during Starvation-Induced Autophagy

Truc B Nguyen; Sharon M Louie; Joseph R Daniele; Quan Tran; Andrew Dillin; Roberto Zoncu; Daniel K Nomura; James A Olzmann

doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2017.06.003

DGAT1-Dependent Lipid Droplet Biogenesis Protects Mitochondrial Function during Starvation-Induced Autophagy

Dev Cell. 2017 Jul 10;42(1):9-21.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.devcel.2017.06.003.

Authors

Truc B Nguyen¹, Sharon M Louie², Joseph R Daniele³, Quan Tran¹, Andrew Dillin³, Roberto Zoncu³, Daniel K Nomura², James A Olzmann⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
² Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
³ Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
⁴ Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: olzmann@berkeley.edu.

Abstract

Lipid droplets (LDs) provide an "on-demand" source of fatty acids (FAs) that can be mobilized in response to fluctuations in nutrient abundance. Surprisingly, the amount of LDs increases during prolonged periods of nutrient deprivation. Why cells store FAs in LDs during an energy crisis is unknown. Our data demonstrate that mTORC1-regulated autophagy is necessary and sufficient for starvation-induced LD biogenesis. The ER-resident diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) selectively channels autophagy-liberated FAs into new, clustered LDs that are in close proximity to mitochondria and are lipolytically degraded. However, LDs are not required for FA delivery to mitochondria but instead function to prevent acylcarnitine accumulation and lipotoxic dysregulation of mitochondria. Our data support a model in which LDs provide a lipid buffering system that sequesters FAs released during the autophagic degradation of membranous organelles, reducing lipotoxicity. These findings reveal an unrecognized aspect of the cellular adaptive response to starvation, mediated by LDs.

Keywords: ATGL; DGAT1; DGAT2; autophagy; lipid droplet; lipotoxicity; mTORC1; mitochondria; starvation; triacylglycerol.

MeSH terms

Amino Acids / deficiency
Animals
Autophagy* / drug effects
Carnitine / analogs & derivatives
Carnitine / pharmacology
Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase / metabolism*
Humans
Isotope Labeling
Lipid Droplets / drug effects
Lipid Droplets / metabolism*
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
Mice
Mitochondria / drug effects
Mitochondria / metabolism*
Models, Biological
Multiprotein Complexes / metabolism
Palmitic Acid / metabolism
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
Triglycerides

Substances

Amino Acids
Multiprotein Complexes
Triglycerides
acylcarnitine
Palmitic Acid
Dgat1 protein, mouse
Diacylglycerol O-Acyltransferase
Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
Carnitine

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

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