Lipid droplet dynamics in skeletal muscle

The skeletal muscle is subjected to high mechanical and energetic demands. Lipid droplets are an important source of energy substrates for the working muscle. Muscle cells contain a variety of lipid droplets, which are fundamentally smaller than those found in adipocytes. This translates into a greater lipid droplet surface area serving as the interface for intracellular lipid metabolism. The skeletal muscle has a high plasticity, it is subjected to major remodeling following training and detraining. This coincides with adaptations in lipid droplet characteristics and dynamics. The majority of lipid droplets in skeletal muscle are located in the subsarcolemmal region or in-between the myofibrils, in close vicinity to mitochondria. The vastly organized nature of skeletal muscle fibers limits organelle mobility. The high metabolic rate and substrate turnover in skeletal muscle demands a strict coordination of intramyocellular lipid metabolism and LD dynamics, in which lipid droplet coat proteins play an important role. This review provides insights into the characteristics, diversity and dynamics of skeletal muscle lipid droplets.