ER-localized phosphatidylethanolamine synthase plays a conserved role in lipid droplet formation

Mehmet Oguz Gok, Natalie Ortiz Speer, W. Mike Henne, Jonathan R. Friedman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

The asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in membranes is a fundamental principle of cellular compartmentalization and organization. Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a nonbilayer phospholipid that contributes to organelle shape and function, is synthesized at several subcellular localizations via semiredundant pathways. Previously, we demonstrated in budding yeast that the PE synthase Psd1, which primarily operates on the mitochondrial inner membrane, is additionally targeted to the ER. While ER-localized Psd1 is required to support cellular growth in the absence of redundant pathways, its physiological function is unclear. We now demonstrate that ER-localized Psd1 sublocalizes on the ER to lipid droplet (LD) attachment sites and show it is specifically required for normal LD formation. We also find that the role of phosphatidylserine decarboxylase (PSD) enzymes in LD formation is conserved in other organisms. Thus we have identified PSD enzymes as novel regulators of LDs and demonstrate that both mitochondria and LDs in yeast are organized and shaped by the spatial positioning of a single PE synthesis enzyme.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberar11
JournalMolecular biology of the cell
Volume33
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2022

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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