title: Regulation of lipid droplet turnover by ubiquitin ligases.
abstract: Mutation of the protein spartin is a cause of one form of spastic paraplegia. Spartin interacts with ubiquitin ligases of the Nedd4 family, and a recent report in BMC Biology now shows that it acts as an adaptor to recruit and activate the ubiquitin ligase AIP4 onto lipid droplets, leading to the ubiquitination and degradation of droplet-associated proteins. A deficiency of spartin apparently causes lipid droplets to accumulate.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, and Biochemistry Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada. philipp.alberts@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alberts
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rotin
mesh_terms: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015419:Spastic Paraplegia, Hereditary / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000378:metabolism*; D054875:Ubiquitination
chemical_list: D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D011506:Proteins; C464787:SPART protein, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases