Increased fatty acid synthesis inhibits nitrogen starvation-induced autophagy in lipid droplet-deficient yeast

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 1-7

REGNACQ M., VOISIN P., SERE YY., WAN B., SOEROSO VM., BERNARD M., CAMOUGRAND N., BERNARD FX., BARRAULT C., BERGES T. (2016)

Laboratoire Signalisation & Transports Ioniques Membranaires (STIM) – CNRS ERL 7368, Université de Poitiers, Bat. B36, TSA 51106, 1 rue Georges Bonnet, France
CNRS, IBGC, UMR 5095, 1 rue Camille Saint-Saëns, 33000 Bordeaux, France
Universite de Bordeaux, IBGC, UMR5095, 1 rue Camille Saint-Saëns, France
Bioalternatives, Gençay, France.

Abstract

Macroautophagy is a degradative pathway whereby cells encapsulate and degrade cytoplasmic material within endogenously-built membranes. Previous studies have suggested that autophagosome membranes originate from lipid droplets. However, it was recently shown that rapamycin could induce autophagy in cells lacking these organelles.
Here we show that lipid droplet-deprived cells are unable to perform autophagy in response to nitrogen-starvation because of an accelerated lipid synthesis that is not observed with rapamycin. Using cerulenin, a potent inhibitor of fatty acid synthase, and exogenous addition of palmitic acid we could restore nitrogen-starvation induced autophagy in the absence of lipid droplets.

© 2016 Elsevier Inc.

KEYWORDS: Autophagy; Fatty acid; Fatty acid synthase; Lipid droplets; Rapamycin

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