Lipid Metabolism at Membrane Contacts: Dynamics and Functions Beyond Lipid Homeostasis

Jiesi Xu; Xun Huang

doi:10.3389/fcell.2020.615856

Lipid Metabolism at Membrane Contacts: Dynamics and Functions Beyond Lipid Homeostasis

Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020 Dec 23:8:615856. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.615856. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Jiesi Xu¹, Xun Huang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Innovation Academy for Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
² College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Abstract

Membrane contact sites (MCSs), regions where the membranes of two organelles are closely apposed, play critical roles in inter-organelle communication, such as lipid trafficking, intracellular signaling, and organelle biogenesis and division. First identified as "fraction X" in the early 90s, MCSs are now widely recognized to facilitate local lipid synthesis and inter-organelle lipid transfer, which are important for maintaining cellular lipid homeostasis. In this review, we discuss lipid metabolism and related cellular and physiological functions in MCSs. We start with the characteristics of lipid synthesis and breakdown at MCSs. Then we focus on proteins involved in lipid synthesis and turnover at these sites. Lastly, we summarize the cellular function of lipid metabolism at MCSs beyond mere lipid homeostasis, including the physiological meaning and relevance of MCSs regarding systemic lipid metabolism. This article is part of an article collection entitled: Coupling and Uncoupling: Dynamic Control of Membrane Contacts.

Keywords: lipid biosynthesis; lipid composition; lipid degradation; lipid functions; membrane contact site.

Publication types

Review