Robert Yang
The cellular dynamics in lipid droplets. Lipid droplets are emerging cellular organelles that store energy in the form of neutral lipids (triacylglycerols and sterol esters). Using molecular and cellular approaches, we aim to understand how lipid droplets interact with other organelles and identify novel gene products that regulate the biogenesis, fusion, fission and degradation of lipid droplets. Our research on lipid droplets has a 'translational' relevance that stretches from obesity to biofuels. For instance, if we could identify mutants with dramatically increased lipid droplets, we may apply those knowledge to increase the production of biofuels (biodiesel).
Previous work: our early work led to the identification of two key enzymes that catalyse sterol esterification, an important homeostatic step for storing excess sterols (Yang et al., Science, 1996). It was a landmark study which initiated the discovery of the ACAT/DGAT1 family of acyltransferases that mediate the synthesis of triglycerides. In 2003, our laboratory demonstrated that eukaryotic cells unable to synthesize triacylglycerols underwent programmed cell death, highlighting the importance of storage neutral lipids and lipid droplets in cell physiology (Zhang et al., JBC, 2003). In 2005, I was invited to write a book chapter on the metabolism of neutral lipids, a key determinant of the dynamics of cellular lipid droplets. In a remarkable study, our group has recently identified many novel regulators of the number and morphology of lipid droplets, and part of this effort has been published in the Journal of Cell Biology (Fei et al, JCB, 2008; also see Fei et al., Eukaryotic Cell, 2008). Our article in JCB was highlighted in the Feb. 11th, 2008 issue of JCB and I was approached by Nature/Science Business Exchange for a commentary one day after our article appeared on-line. My research on lipid droplets has a 'translational' relevance that stretches from obesity to biofuels.