Lipid droplets (LDs) are evolutionarily conserved organelles that play important roles in cellular metabolism. Each LD is enclosed by a monolayer of phospholipids, distinct from bilayer membranes. During LD biogenesis and growth, this monolayer of lipids expands by acquiring phospholipids from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through nonvesicular mechanisms. Here, in a mini-screen, we find that ORP5, an integral membrane protein of the ER, can localize to ER–LD contact sites upon oleate loading. ORP5 interacts with LDs through its ligand-binding domain, and ORP5 deficiency enhances neutral lipid synthesis and increases the size of LDs. Importantly, there is significantly more phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PI(4)P) and less phosphatidylserine (PS) on LDs in ORP5-deficient cells than in normal cells. The increased presence of PI(4)P on LDs in ORP5-deficient cells requires phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase 2-α. Our results thus demonstrate the existence of PI(4)P on LDs and suggest that LD-associated PI(4)P may be primarily used by ORP5 to deliver PS to LDs.

TMEM41B and VMP1 are integral membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and regulate the formation of autophagosomes, lipid droplets (LDs), and lipoproteins. Recently, TMEM41B was identified as a crucial host factor for infection by all coronaviruses and flaviviruses. The molecular function of TMEM41B and VMP1, which belong to a large evolutionarily conserved family, remains elusive. Here, we show that TMEM41B and VMP1 are phospholipid scramblases whose deficiency impairs the normal cellular distribution of cholesterol and phosphatidylserine. Their mechanism of action on LD formation is likely to be different from that of seipin. Their role in maintaining cellular phosphatidylserine and cholesterol homeostasis may partially explain their requirement for viral infection. Our results suggest that the proper sorting and distribution of cellular lipids are essential for organelle biogenesis and viral infection.

Lipid transfer proteins are crucial for intracellular cholesterol trafficking at sites of membrane contact. In the OSBP/ORPs (oxysterol binding protein and OSBP-related proteins) family of lipid transfer proteins, ORP1L, ORP1S and ORP2 play important roles in cholesterol transport. ORP1L is an endosome/lysosome-anchored cholesterol sensor which may also move cholesterol bidirectionally at the interface between the endoplasmic reticulum and the endosome/lysosome. ORP2 delivers cholesterol to the plasma membrane, driven by PI(4,5)P2 hydrolysis. ORP1S may also transport cholesterol to the plasma membrane, although it is unclear if phosphoinositides are involved. The source of cholesterol delivered to the plasma membrane by ORP1S and ORP2 remains unclear. This review summarises the roles of these proteins in maintaining cellular cholesterol homeostasis and in human disease.

In a recent article published in Nature Metabolism, Peter Tontonoz and colleagues found that the Aster/GramD1 proteins were required for plasma membrane cholesterol to reach the endoplasmic reticulum in mouse liver during fasting, LDL uptake, or reverse cholesterol transport. The Aster/GramD1 pathway plays a key role in maintaining hepatic and systemic cholesterol/lipid homeostasis.