We previously reported that endothelial-derived lipase (EDL) efficiently hydrolyses high-density-lipoprotein-derived phosphatidycholine (HDL-PC). In the present study, we assessed the ability of EDL to supply HepG2 cells with non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) liberated from HDL-phospholipids. For this purpose, HepG2 cells infected with adenovirus encoding human EDL (EDL-Ad), or with control bet...

Lipids as a class of molecules display a wide diversity in both structure and biological function. A pr imary role of l ipids in cellular function is in the formation of the permeabi l i ty barrier of cells and subcellular organelles in the form of a l ipid bi layer (Fig. 1). Although the major l ipid type defining this bi layer in almost all membranes is g lycerol-based phospholipid, other lip...

Eukaryotic cells possess a remarkable diversity of lipids, which distribute among cellular membranes by well-characterized vesicle trafficking pathways. However, transport of lipids by alternate, or "nonvesicular," routes is also critical for lipid synthesis, metabolism, and proper membrane partitioning. In the past few years, considerable progress has been made in characterizing the mechanisms...

The methanogenic archaebacterium Methanospirillum hungatei contains two unusual phosphoglycolipids that account for 64 percent of the total cellular lipids. These lipids are derivatives of the dibiphytanyl diglycerol tetraether, previously identified in methanogens. One of the free hydroxyls of this tetraether is esterified with glycerophosphoric acid, and the other is linked glycosidically to ...

The membranes of eukaryotic cells create hydrophobic barriers that control substance and information exchange between the inside and outside of cells and between cellular compartments. Besides their roles as membrane building blocks, some membrane lipids, such as phosphoinositides (PIs), also exert regulatory effects. Indeed, emerging evidence indicates that PIs play crucial roles in controllin...