Lizardo Darleny Y, Parisi Laura R, Li Nasi, Atilla-Gokcumen G Ekin
Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York , Buffalo, New York 14260, United States.
Biochemistry. 2018 Jan 9;57(1):22-29. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.7b00862. Epub 2017 Oct 24.
Lipids are a diverse class of biomolecules. The biosynthesis and transport of these molecules are controlled by a considerable number of proteins, which facilitate spatiotemporal regulation of lipids during different fundamental cellular processes. Although lipids are traditionally considered as molecules for energy storage and as structural components of membranes, they are being increasingly recognized for their signaling roles. There is a growing appreciation of lipids' chemical diversity, which approaches that of proteins. In this Perspective, we discuss recent studies that suggest novel functions for distinct lipid species during different cellular processes. In particular, we discuss findings from our laboratory that illuminate the involvement of ceramides, polyunsaturated triacylglycerols, and very long chain fatty acids in different cellular fates. We also highlight recent innovative methods that have enabled the recognition of previously unknown lipid classes and/or roles of these molecules in different biological processes. We envision that advances in lipid identification, visualization, and perturbation will pave the way for broader investigations into this fascinating and influential class of biomolecules.
脂质是一类多样的生物分子。这些分子的生物合成和运输由相当数量的蛋白质控制，这些蛋白质在不同的基本细胞过程中促进脂质的时空调节。尽管脂质传统上被认为是能量储存分子和膜的结构成分，但它们作为信号分子的作用越来越受到认可。人们越来越认识到脂质的化学多样性，其接近蛋白质的化学多样性。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了最近的研究，这些研究表明不同脂质种类在不同细胞过程中具有新功能。特别是，我们讨论了我们实验室的研究结果，这些结果阐明了神经酰胺、多不饱和三酰甘油和超长链脂肪酸在不同细胞命运中的作用。我们还强调了最近的创新方法，这些方法能够识别以前未知的脂质类别和/或这些分子在不同生物过程中的作用。我们设想，脂质鉴定、可视化和扰动方面的进展将为更广泛地研究这一迷人且有影响力的生物分子类别铺平道路。
