The regulation of triglyceride storage by Acsx4 and Acsx5 in Drosophila fat tissue

The production of energy is one of the most fundamental requirements for organismal survival. Decreasing expression of <i>Drosophila</i> <i>9G8</i> , an mRNA splicing protein, specifically in adipose tissue results in triglyceride accumulation. Decreasing <i>9G8</i> in adipose also results in upregulation of the acyl-CoA synthetases <i>Acsx4</i> and <i>Acsx5</i> ; however, the functions of these genes in regulating lipid metabolism is not fully understood. Here, we decreased <i>Acsx4</i> and <i>Acsx5</i> in fly adipose tissue and this resulted in high triglycerides. This suggests that these genes regulate lipid breakdown, and their upregulation is perhaps compensating for the triglyceride accumulation observed when <i>9G8</i> levels are decreased.