Lipins: Linking phospholipid biosynthesis to organelle biogenesis

细胞使用脂质作为形成膜的构件。膜将细胞与其环境分离，并且对于将细胞内空间组织成几个隔室或细胞器也是必不可少的，每个隔室或细胞器都具有其自身的特定功能。脂质决定了膜的物理性质，例如它们改变形状的能力和它们的渗透性。此外，脂质可以产生化学信息，因此脂质组成的局部变化会影响细胞器相互通信的方式。该项目的主要目的是了解从酵母到人类保守的酶家族如何调节脂质产生，以及这反过来如何影响膜生物发生和细胞器结构/功能。这些酶中的一些也控制甘油三酯的产生，甘油三酯是脂肪细胞中的主要能量储存，有证据表明它们的突变会破坏脂肪代谢。通过研究这些酶的功能，我们希望更多地了解肥胖和脂肪代谢障碍等疾病。

Cells use lipids as building blocks for the formation of membranes. Membranes separate cells from their environment and are also essential for the organization of the intracellular space into several compartments, or organelles, each with its own specific function. Lipids determine the physical properties of membranes, such as their ability to change shape and their permeability. Moreover, lipids can produce chemical messages and thus local changes in lipid composition affect the way organelles communicate with each other. The main aim of this project is to understand how a family of enzymes, conserved from yeasts to humans, regulates lipid production and how this in turn impacts on membrane biogenesis and organelle structure/function. Some of these enzymes control also production of triglycerides, the major energy store in fat cells and there is evidence that their mutation disrupts fat metabolism. By studying how these enzymes function, we hope to learn more about conditions like obesity and lipodystrophy.