Triglyceride-containing lipid droplets (LD) are dynamic organelles stored on demand in all
cells. These droplets grow through a fusion process mediated by SNARE proteins, including
SNAP23. The droplets have also been shown to be highly motile and interact with other cell
organelles, including peroxisomes and the endoplasmic reticulum. We have used electron
and confocal microscopy to demonstrate that LD form complexes with mitochondria in NIH
3T3 fibroblasts. Using an in vitro system of purified LD and mitochondria, we also show the …