title: Simulating the dynamics of lipid droplets in adipocyte differentiation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lipid droplets are cellular organelles that regulate the storage and hydrolysis of neutral lipids. The dynamic of lipid droplets (LDs), during the differentiation process from fibroblast-like cells into adipocyte, is strictly related to the lipid storage in cells. The number and size of the LDs depends on the lipidic or lipolytic stimulations to which the cells are exposed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we propose a computational approach to study the processes regulating the LDs' number and growth/reduction in size using Monte Carlo simulations. The number and size of LDs are measured before and after experimental treatment in 3T3-L1 cell cultures. The algorithms simulating the evolution from basal to differentiate (lipidic or lipolytic) conditions are here detailed step by step. The algorithms can mimic thousand interacting events between LDs or squeezing/enlargement events of a single LD in a very brief computational time, from seconds up to few minutes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main processes regulating the interactions between LDs are here presented, and for each of them, all the needed information to re-write the computational routine are provided. More specifically, the results obtained, analyzing the fusion process between LDs, are here presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Here, we would like to supply the basis to explore the dynamics of lipid storage in cells with a computational approach and to encourage the applications of numerical simulation to cell studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 15, 37134 Verona, Italy. Electronic address: federico.boschi@univr.it.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boschi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Geriatric Section, University of Verona, Piazzale Stefani 1, 37126 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Vanni
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rizzatti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Geriatric Section, University of Verona, Piazzale Stefani 1, 37126 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamboni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada Le Grazie 8, 37134 Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sbarbati
mesh_terms: D041721:3T3-L1 Cells; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
keywords: 3T3-L1; Adipocyte; Fat; Lipid droplet; Monte Carlo simulation; Triglycerides accumulation