Previously unknown pathway for lipid biosynthesis discovered

Jean E. Schaffer is at the Joslin Diabetes Center and in the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.

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Triglycerides are key lipids used in the transport of fatty acids through the bloodstream in animals, and serve as the most efficient medium for energy storage in both animal and plant cells. In humans, accumulation of triglycerides in lipid droplets in non-fat tissues is commonly observed in lipid-overloaded states, such as obesity-related metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. It can also be associated with cardiovascular disease1 and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis2 (a disease of the liver). Thus, the characterization of molecular pathways for triglyceride synthesis and their regulation is crucial for understanding human physiology and disease. Writing in Nature, McLelland et al.3 uncover a previously unknown pathway for triglyceride synthesis in mammalian cells.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02502-y

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The author declares no competing interests.

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