Scientists Target New Protein CHP1 to Combat Obesity and Diabetes

A team of researchers from The University of New South Wales (UNSW) has made a significant discovery regarding a protein that regulates fat storage within cells, potentially opening new pathways for treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. The protein, identified as CHP1, functions as a traffic controller, ensuring that fat molecules are produced and directed to their proper locations.

To understand the role of CHP1, it is essential to know how cells manage fat storage. Inside cells, fat is stored in structures known as lipid droplets, which serve as reservoirs of energy while also contributing to the formation and repair of cell membranes. The process of filling these droplets involves a production line called the glycerol-3-phosphate (G-3-P) pathway. This pathway generates two crucial products: triacylglycerols, the primary form of stored fat, and glycerophospholipids, which are fundamental components of cell membranes.

The initial step in this pathway is vital and relies on enzymes known as microsomal GPATs. Among these, GPAT3 and GPAT4 play significant roles in fat-producing tissues. While researchers were aware of the importance of these enzymes, the mechanism controlling their activation and localization had remained unclear until now.

The UNSW team discovered that CHP1 serves both as a stabilizer and an activator of GPAT3 and GPAT4. This protein ensures that these enzymes perform their functions effectively and also helps direct them to lipid droplets for fat storage. When CHP1 is absent, lipid droplets significantly decrease in size, indicating that this protein is critical for fat metabolism within cells.

“Our findings provide a clearer picture of the intricate machinery that controls how cells store fat,” stated Guang Yang, lead author from UNSW’s School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Science. “Understanding this process is a critical step towards developing new strategies to address a range of metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes.”

While the journey from discovery to treatment is long, the identification of CHP1 as a key player in fat metabolism presents a promising new target for researchers. Furthermore, this study highlights that lipid droplets, once considered merely passive fat stores, are actually active organelles that play a crucial role in how fat is managed within cells.

The implications of dysfunctional lipid storage extend beyond obesity and diabetes, potentially affecting a variety of health conditions. The findings from this study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, marking an important step in the ongoing quest to understand metabolic health.