PISD acts as a switch between lipophagy and fatty acid transfer to mitochondria.
PISD-LD functions as a molecular switch, promoting fatty acid transfer to mitochondria while inhibiting lipophagy, thereby regulating energy production during starvation.
- Why it matters: Understanding how cells coordinate fatty acid trafficking and lipophagy is crucial for insights into energy metabolism and related diseases, yet the mechanisms remain unclear.
- What they did: The study used knockdown experiments and protein interaction analyses to show that PISD-LD mediates LD-mitochondria contacts and recruits lipid transfer proteins, affecting FA transfer and lipophagy regulation.
- The result: Disruption of PISD-LD activity impairs FA trafficking, activates lipophagy, and alters lipid metabolism in mouse liver, highlighting PISD-LD’s role in balancing energy pathways.