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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Dec 30.
Published in final edited form as: Semin Liver Dis. 2019 Apr 30;39(3):283–290. doi: 10.1055/s-0039-1685524

Fig. 2. Catabolism of LDs by lipophagy.

Fig. 2

(A) The process of lipophagy involves the construction of a specialized membrane (known as a phagophore) around the perimeter of LDs destined for degradation. Once enclosed within this autophagic membrane, in a structure referred to as an ‘autophagosome,’ the downstream recruitment of lysosomes to the autophagosome results in turnover of LDs within a hybrid compartment known as an autolysosome. (B) Maximum-intensity projection of Oil Red O-stained LDs (red) targeted by LC3-positive autophagic membranes (green) in primary porcine hepatocytes. (C) Electron micrograph of a large LD in close apposition to an autolysosome or lysosome (arrow) containing an internalized LD in HuH-7 human hepatoma cells.50 (D) Fluorescence microscopy reveals the association of a constitutively active GFP-Rab10 with LDs (red) in HuH-7 human hepatoma cells cultured in serum-starvation conditions.50 (E) Electron micrograph of a primary rat hepatocyte cultured under basal conditions and exhibiting autolysosomal structures (arrows) containing numerous enclosed LDs (these images are provided courtesy of Eugene W. Krueger, Mayo Clinic). LD, lipid droplet.