CIDEC
Description
The CIDEC (cell death inducing DFFA like effector c) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 3.
CIDEC is a lipid transferase specifically expressed in white adipose tissue. It promotes unilocular lipid droplet formation by mediating lipid droplet fusion, which leads to their enlargement and restricts lipolysis, favoring lipid storage. CIDEC localizes on the lipid droplet surface and at focal contact sites between lipid droplets, mediating atypical lipid droplet fusion through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). This process involves directional net neutral lipid transfer from smaller to larger lipid droplets, potentially driven by internal pressure differences. Its role in neutral lipid transfer and lipid droplet enlargement is activated by interaction with PLIN1. CIDEC may also act as a CEBPB coactivator in white adipose tissue, controlling the expression of a subset of CEBPB downstream target genes, including SOCS1, SOCS3, TGFB1, TGFBR1, ID2, and XDH. Overexpression of CIDEC in preadipocytes can induce apoptosis or increase cell susceptibility to apoptosis induced by serum deprivation or TGFB treatment.
CIDEC is also known as CIDE-3, CIDE3, FPLD5, FSP27.
