Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40289189›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Nuclear receptor signaling regulates compartmentalized phosphatidylcholine remodeling to facilitate thermosensitive lipid droplet fusion.

Qi Li, Xiaofang Zhou, Xiaocong Zhang, Chuqi Zhang, Shaobing O Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Structural modeling supports an interaction between thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
    Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Qi LiLaboratory of Metabolic Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6595-9656
Xiaofang ZhouLaboratory of Metabolic Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
Xiaocong ZhangLaboratory of Metabolic Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
Chuqi ZhangLaboratory of Metabolic Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
Shaobing O ZhangLaboratory of Metabolic Genetics, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China. soz001@cnu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0008-0042-8636

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32171169National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 91857106
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Lipid droplet (LD) fusion plays a key role in cellular fat storage. How the phospholipid monolayer membrane of LD functions in fusion, however, is poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, loss of cytochrome P450 protein CYP-37A1 causes de-repression of nuclear receptor DAF-12, promoting thermosensitive LD fusion. Here, we report that in cyp-37A1 mutants, DAF-12 up-regulates the transcription and LD localization of seven fatty acid desaturases (FAT-1 to FAT-7) and a lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3) homolog MBOA-6. LD-targeting of these enzymes increases phosphatidylcholine (PC) containing ω-3 C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for thermosensitive fusion. ω-3 C20-PC increase LD membrane fluidity, as does high ambient temperature. Lowering LD membrane fluidity by a chemical membrane rigidifier attenuates thermosensitive fusion; ectopic targeting of ω3 desaturase FAT-1 or MBOA-6 to LDs increases fusion kinetics and thermosensitivity. Furthermore, human LPCAT3 localizes to LDs, positively regulates LD size in human cells and facilitates thermosensitive fusion in C. elegans. These results demonstrate that DAF-12 signaling regulates compartmentalized membrane remodeling and fluidization to facilitate conserved thermosensitive LD fusion.

Indexed as

Caenorhabditis elegans ProteinsLipid DropletsPhosphatidylcholinesReceptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear1-Acylglycerophosphocholine O-AcyltransferaseAnimalsCaenorhabditis elegansCytochrome P-450 Enzyme SystemFatty Acid DesaturasesHumansMembrane FluidityMembrane FusionSignal Transduction1-Acylglycerophosphocholine O-AcyltransferaseCaenorhabditis elegans ProteinsCytochrome P-450 Enzyme SystemFatty Acid DesaturasesPhosphatidylcholinesReceptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear

Identifiers

PMID40289189
PMCPMC12034805

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.