The principal lipids in animal cell lipid droplets are cholesterol, cholesterol ester, and
triglyceride, but the protein composition of this compartment is largely unknown. Here we
report on the proteomic analysis of lipid droplets. Using a combination of mass spectrometry
and immunoblotting, we identify nearly 40 specifically associated proteins in droplets
isolated from Chinese hamster ovary K2 cells grown in normal medium. The proteins fall in
to five groups: structural molecules of the droplet-like adipose differentiation-related protein; …