High-fat diet (HFD) causes mitochondrial dysfunction in white adipocytes. A study in Nature Metabolism identifies the small GTPase RalA as a culprit in mice. Upon HFD, RalA activates the fission protein Drp1 to cause mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction, linking mitochondrial fuel utilization in white adipocytes to systemic lipid metabolism.
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Acknowledgements
L.S. acknowledges the Extended Partnership ‘AgeIT’, National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Mission 4 ‘Education and Research’ — Component 2 ‘From Research to Enterprise’ — Investment 1.3, funded by the European Union — NextGenerationEU.
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Zambello, L., Scorrano, L. A RalA between high-fat diet and mitochondrial shape. Nat Metab 6, 198–199 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00969-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00969-7
