Project Description: 

Adipose tissue is the primary storage site for energy in the form of triglycerides (TG) in the body.  Once thought to be inert, solely useful as a storage site, it is now recognized as an important endocrine organ as it secretes various peptide hormones such as leptin, adiponectin, and resistin that have important effects on normal physiology.  Adipose tissue is also responsible for lipolysis, the release of free fatty acids (FFA) from TG, to supply other tissues with lipid substrates.  Work in the Sul lab is focused on understanding the molecular details and physiological significance of various proteins within adipose tissue that allow it to regulate lipid transfer for TG storage, and lipolysis for FFA release.  We recently identified a previously uncharacterized protein that contains an apolipoprotein-like domain and is specifically expressed in adipose tissue.  We found that this protein is localized to lipid droplets and may be involved in lipid transfer.  We are generating transgenic mice for overexpression of this protein in adipose tissue, as well as global knockout mice by using CRISPR-Cas9 system.  Our goals for this project are to examine the regulation of lipid transfer, examine the regulation of lipolysis, and examine the role of this protein in vivo using our various mouse models.  Overall, the proposed research will define the role of this protein in adipose tissue and improve our understanding of adipose tissue lipid droplet physiology.

Department: 
NST
Location: 
On Campus
Hours: 
9-12 hours