Mitochondria isolated from lipid droplets of white adipose tissue reveal functional differences based on lipid droplet size

Alexandra J. Brownstein, Michaela Veliova, Rebeca Acin-Perez, Frankie Villalobos, Anton Petcherski, Alberto Tombolato, Marc Liesa, Orian S. Shirihai

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Recent studies in brown adipose tissue (BAT) described a unique subpopulation of mitochondria bound to lipid droplets (LDs), which were termed PeriDroplet Mitochondria (PDM). PDM can be isolated from BAT by differential centrifugation and salt washes. Contrary to BAT, this approach has so far not led to the successful isolation of PDM from white adipose tissue (WAT). Here, we de-veloped a method to isolate PDM from WAT with high yield and purity by an optimized proteolytic treatment that preserves the respiratory function of mitochondria. Using this approach, we show that, contrary to BAT, WAT PDM have lower respiratory and ATP synthesis capacities compared with WAT cytoplasmic mitochondria (CM). Furthermore, by isolating PDM from LDs of different sizes, we found a negative correlation between LD size and the respiratory capacity of their PDM in WAT. Thus, our new isolation method reveals tissue-specific characteristics of PDM and establishes the existence of heterogeneity in PDM function determined by LD size.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere202301934
JournalLife Science Alliance
Volume7
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Feb 2024
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology (miscellaneous)
  • Plant Science
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Mitochondria isolated from lipid droplets of white adipose tissue reveal functional differences based on lipid droplet size'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this