Fat globule

Fat globules (also known as mature lipid droplets) are individual pieces of intracellular fat in human

organ. They contain a hydrophobic core and are encased in a phospholipid

monolayer membrane. Due to their hydrophobic nature, lipids and lipid digestive derivatives must be transported in the globular form within the cell, blood, and tissue spaces.

The formation of a fat globule starts within the membrane bilayer of the

lipid synthesis or lipolysis

.

Globules of fat are emulsified in the

micelles

. This increases the surface area for lipid-hydrolyzing enzymes to act on the fats.

Micelles are roughly 200 times smaller than fat emulsion droplets, allowing them to facilitate the transport of

monoglycerides and fatty acids across the surface of the enterocyte

, where absorption occurs.

Milk fat globules (MFGs) are another form of intracellular fat found in the

TIP 47

. The proteins are spread throughout the ER membrane and fuse with the droplets before they are released from the ER.

The ER releases the droplets into the cytosol of the mammary epithelial lactating cell. While in the cytosol, proteins and polar lipids will coat the droplets and form various sizes of globules. MFGs can exist in various diameters ranging from 1 μm- 8 μm and even higher on rare occasions.

Bibliography

Barisch, Caroline; Soldati, Thierry (2017-10-01). "Breaking fat! How mycobacteria and other intracellular pathogens manipulate host lipid droplets". Biochimie. Microbe and Host Lipids Gerli Meeting. 141: 54–61. doi:10.1016/j.biochi.2017.06.001. ISSN 0300-9084.
Heid, Hans W.; Keenan, Thomas W. (2005-03). "Intracellular origin and secretion of milk fat globules": 245–58. European Journal of Cell Biology.
Martini, Mina; Salari, Federica; Altomonte, Iolanda (2016-05-18). "The Macrostructure of Milk Lipids: The Fat Globules". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 56 (7): 1209–1221. doi:10.1080/10408398.2012.758626. ISSN 1040-8398. PMID 24915408.

See also

Bibliography