Research

Hormonal

Perilipin 1 (PLIN1) acts as a gatekeeper for lipid storage by sequestering lipases (ATGL and HSL) from cytosolic lipid droplets in the basal state, thereby suppressing lipolysis until hormonal stimulation triggers phosphorylation and enzyme recruitment.

In fat cells, a protein called PLIN1 acts as a protective coat that keeps fat-burning enzymes away from stored fat when you are at rest or fed. This prevents unnecessary fat loss. Only when your body signals a need for energy (via hormones like adrenaline) does this coat get modified to allow enzymes access. This highlights that fat storage is an active, regulated process, not just passive accumulation.

StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
Under basal (e.g., fed or insulin-stimulated) conditions for WAT, CLD-bound Plin1a is unphosphorylated, and the two major lipolytic enzymes, ATGL (adipose triacylglycerol lipase) and HSL, are cytosolic... Thus, under basal conditions, lipases are sequestered from CLDs and lipolysis is suppressed.
Alan R. Kimmel et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2016

Why this rating

Based on extensive genetic knockout studies (Plin1-/- mice) and molecular characterization.

Source

The Perilipins: Major Cytosolic Lipid Droplet–Associated Proteins and Their Roles in Cellular Lipid Storage, Mobilization, and Systemic Homeostasis

Alan R. Kimmel et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2016

DOI 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071813-105410

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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