Perilipin: possible roles in structure and metabolism of intracellular neutral lipids in adipocytes and steroidogenic cells.

Perilipins are a family of unique proteins intimately associated with the limiting surface of neutral lipid storage droplets in adipocytes and in steroidogenic cells. Lipid hydrolysis in these cells is initiated by cAMP, which leads to phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase in adipocytes and cholesteryl esterase in steroidogenic cells by protein kinase A. Although the concurrent phosphorylation of perilipin by this kinase suggests a role for these proteins in lipid breakdown, a role for these proteins in lipid packaging or in maintaining the lipid droplet structure cannot be excluded.