Control of triglyceride storage by a WD40/TPR-domain protein

EMBO Rep. 2003 May;4(5):511-6. doi: 10.1038/sj.embor.embor837.

Abstract

Obesity is a metabolic disorder related to improper control of energy uptake and expenditure, which results in excessive accumulation of body fat. Initial insights into the genetic pathways that regulate energy metabolism have been provided by a discrete number of obesity-related genes that have been identified in mammals. Here, we report the identification of the adipose (adp) gene, the mutation of which causes obesity in Drosophila. Loss of adp activity promotes increased fat storage, which extends the lifespan of mutant flies under starvation conditions. By contrast, adp gain-of-function causes a specific reduction of the fat body in Drosophila. adp encodes an evolutionarily conserved WD40/tetratricopeptide-repeat-domain protein that is likely to represent an intermediate in a novel signalling pathway.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / chemistry
  • Drosophila Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Drosophila Proteins / genetics
  • Drosophila Proteins / metabolism*
  • Drosophila melanogaster / genetics*
  • Energy Metabolism / genetics
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Fat Body / metabolism*
  • Larva / genetics
  • Larva / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation*
  • Obesity / genetics*
  • Obesity / metabolism
  • Phenotype
  • Proteins / genetics*
  • Proteins / metabolism
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Triglycerides / genetics
  • Triglycerides / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Drosophila Proteins
  • Proteins
  • Triglycerides
  • adp protein, Drosophila