Mobilisation of triacylglycerol stores

Triacylglycerol (TAG) is an energy dense substance which is stored by sever al body tissues, principally adipose tissue and the liver. Utilisation of s tored TAG as an energy source requires its mobilisation from these depots a nd transfer into the blood plasma. The means by which TAG is mobilised diff ers in adipose tissue and liver although the regulation of lipid metabolism in each of these organs is interdependent and synchronised in an integrate d manner. This review deals principally with the mechanism of hepatic TAG m obilisation since this is a rapidly expanding area of research and may have important implications for the regulation of plasma very-low-density lipop rotein metabolism. TAG mobilisation plays an important role in fuel selecti on in non-hepatic tissues such as cardiac muscle and pancreatic islets and these aspects are also reviewed briefly. Finally, studies of certain rare i nherited disorders of neutral lipid storage and mobilisation may provide us eful information about the normal enzymology of TAG mobilisation in healthy tissues. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.