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Intracellular lipolysis—the enzymatic breakdown of lipid droplet-associated triacylglycerol (TAG)—depends on the cooperative action of several hydrolytic enzymes and regulatory proteins, together designated as lipolysome. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) acts as a major cellular TAG hydrolase and core effector of the lipolysome in many peripheral tissues. Neurons initiate lipolysis independently of ATGL via DDHD domain-containing 2 (DDHD2), a multifunctional lipid hydrolase whose dysfunction causes neuronal TAG deposition and hereditary spastic paraplegia. Whether and how DDHD2 cooperates with other lipolytic enzymes is currently unknown. In this study, we further investigated the enzymatic properties and functions of DDHD2 in neuroblastoma cells and primary neurons. We found that DDHD2 hydrolyzes multiple acylglycerols in vitro and substantially contributes to neutral lipid hydrolase activities of neuroblastoma cells and brain tissue. Substrate promiscuity of DDHD2 allowed its engagement at different steps of the lipolytic cascade: In neuroblastoma cells, DDHD2 functioned exclusively downstream of ATGL in the hydrolysis of sn-1,3-diacylglycerol (DAG) isomers but was dispensable for TAG hydrolysis and lipid droplet homeostasis. In primary cortical neurons, DDHD2 exhibited lipolytic control over both, DAG and TAG, and complemented ATGL-dependent TAG hydrolysis. We conclude that neuronal cells use noncanonical configurations of the lipolysome and engage DDHD2 as dual TAG/DAG hydrolase in cooperation with ATGL.

Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP), also known as lysobisphosphatidic acid, is a phospholipid that promotes lipid sorting in late endosomes/lysosomes by activating lipid hydrolases and lipid transfer proteins. Changes in the cellular BMP content therefore reflect an altered metabolic activity of the endolysosomal system. Surprisingly, little is known about the physiological regulation of BMP. In this study, we investigated the effects of nutritional and metabolic factors on BMP profiles of whole tissues and parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells. Tissue samples were obtained from fed, fasted, 2 h refed, and insulin-treated mice, as well as from mice housed at 5°C, 22°C, or 30°C. These tissues exhibited distinct BMP profiles that were regulated by the nutritional state in a tissue-specific manner. Insulin treatment was not sufficient to mimic refeeding-induced changes in tissue BMP levels, indicating that BMP metabolism is regulated by other hormonal or nutritional factors. Tissue fractionation experiments revealed that fasting drastically elevates BMP levels in hepatocytes and pancreatic cells. Furthermore, we observed that the BMP content in brown adipose tissue strongly depends on housing temperatures. In conclusion, our observations suggest that BMP concentrations adapt to the metabolic state in a tissue- and cell-type-specific manner in mice. Drastic changes observed in hepatocytes, pancreatic cells, and brown adipocytes suggest that BMP plays a role in the functional adaption to nutrient starvation and ambient temperature.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the degradation of monoacylglycerols. To examine the role of MGL in hepatic steatosis, WT and MGL KO (MGL−/−) mice were challenged with a Western diet (WD) over 12 weeks. Lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis were assessed by serum biochemistry, histology, and gene-expression profiling of liver and adipose depots. Intestinal fat absorption was measured by gas chromatography. Primary adipocyte and 3T3-L1 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and Western blot. Human hepatocytes were treated with MGL inhibitor JZL184. The absence of MGL protected mice from hepatic steatosis by repressing key lipogenic enzymes in liver (Srebp1c, Pparγ2, and diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1), while promoting FA oxidation. Liver inflammation was diminished in MGL−/− mice fed a WD, as evidenced by diminished epidermal growth factor-like module-containing mucin-like hormone receptor-like 1 (F4/80) staining and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 gene expression, whereas fibrosis remained unchanged. Absence of MGL promoted fat storage in gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT) with increased lipogenesis and unchanged lipolysis, diminished inflammation in gWAT, and subcutaneous AT. Intestinal fat malabsorption prevented ectopic lipid accumulation in livers of MGL−/− mice fed a WD. In vitro experiments demonstrated increased adipocyte size/lipid content driven by PPARγ. In conclusion, our data uncover that MGL deletion improves some aspects of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by promoting lipid storage in gWAT and fat malabsorption.

Bis(monoacylglycerol)phosphate (BMP) is a phospholipid that is crucial for lipid degradation and sorting in acidic organelles. Genetic and drug-induced lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are associated with increased BMP concentrations in tissues and in the circulation. Data on BMP in disorders other than LSDs, however, are scarce, and key enzymes regulating BMP metabolism remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that common metabolic disorders and the intracellular BMP hydrolase α/β-hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6) affect BMP metabolism in mice and humans. In mice, dietary lipid overload strongly affects BMP concentration and FA composition in the liver and plasma, similar to what has been observed in LSDs. Notably, distinct changes in the BMP FA profile enable a clear distinction between lipid overload and drug-induced LSDs. Global deletion of ABHD6 increases circulating BMP concentrations but does not cause LSDs. In humans, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cirrhosis affect the serum BMP FA composition and concentration. Furthermore, we identified a patient with a loss-of-function mutation in the ABHD6 gene, leading to an altered circulating BMP profile. In conclusion, our results suggest that common metabolic diseases and ABHD6 affect BMP metabolism in mice and humans.

Elaborate control mechanisms of intracellular triacylglycerol (TAG) breakdown are critically involved in the maintenance of energy homeostasis. Hypoxia-inducible lipid droplet-associated protein (HILPDA)/hypoxia-inducible gene-2 (Hig-2) has been shown to affect intracellular TAG levels, yet, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show that HILPDA inhibits adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), the enzyme catalyzing the first step of intracellular TAG hydrolysis. HILPDA shares structural similarity with G0/G1 switch gene 2 (G0S2), an established inhibitor of ATGL. HILPDA inhibits ATGL activity in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 value of ∼2 μM. ATGL inhibition depends on the direct physical interaction of both proteins and involves the N-terminal hydrophobic region of HILPDA and the N-terminal patatin domain-containing segment of ATGL. Finally, confocal microscopy combined with Förster resonance energy transfer-fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy analysis indicated that HILPDA and ATGL colocalize and physically interact intracellularly. These findings provide a rational biochemical explanation for the tissue-specific increased TAG accumulation in HILPDA-overexpressing transgenic mouse models.

Cardiac triacylglycerol (TG) catabolism critically depends on the TG hydrolytic activity of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). Perilipin 5 (Plin5) is expressed in cardiac muscle (CM) and has been shown to interact with ATGL and its coactivator comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58). Furthermore, ectopic Plin5 expression increases cellular TG content and Plin5-deficient mice exhibit reduced cardiac TG levels. In this study we show that mice with cardiac muscle-specific overexpression of perilipin 5 (CM-Plin5) massively accumulate TG in CM, which is accompanied by moderately reduced fatty acid (FA) oxidizing gene expression levels. Cardiac lipid droplet (LD) preparations from CM of CM-Plin5 mice showed reduced ATGL- and hormone-sensitive lipase-mediated TG mobilization implying that Plin5 overexpression restricts cardiac lipolysis via the formation of a lipolytic barrier. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed TG hydrolytic activities in preparations of Plin5-, ATGL-, and CGI-58-transfected cells. In vitro ATGL-mediated TG hydrolysis of an artificial micellar TG substrate was not inhibited by the presence of Plin5, whereas Plin5-coated LDs were resistant toward ATGL-mediated TG catabolism. These findings strongly suggest that Plin5 functions as a lipolytic barrier to protect the cardiac TG pool from uncontrolled TG mobilization and the excessive release of free FAs.