Lipid Droplet-Associated Proteins: Roles in Cardiovascular Diseases.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the cardiovascular system, lipids serve as a primary energy source, and dysregulated lipid metabolism has been observed in many CVDs. Lipid droplets (LDs) are organelles that store lipids, including triglycerides and cholesterol. The biogenesis and lipolysis of LDs broadly influence lipid metabolism in cells in the cardiovascular system and contribute to CVDs. LDs homeostasis is modulated by lipid droplet-associated proteins (LDAPs), such as PLINs, CIDEs, BSCL2, ABHD5, and Rab18. These proteins have also been reported to be involved in various CVDs. Here, we summarize the roles of LDAPs in CVDs and discuss them in detail. To our knowledge, this is the first review to systematically elucidate the associations between LDAPs and CVDs.