"Role of PAT Proteins in the Formation of Lipid Droplets"

    Only recently have lipid droplets been studied and hence not much is known about their formation in adipocytes. A family of proteins, the PAT proteins, is known to aid in the formation of lipid droplets in cells. Using differentiating adipocytes, knockdown of ADFP was attempted in hopes of determining how decreased expression of ADFP could affect the differentiation process. Due to problems with materials and technique, a complete knockdown does not appear to have been successful. However, even with a partial knockdown, it is possible to see that there is a difference in the degree of differentiation and the size of lipid droplets formed in cells lacking ADFP.