Fat cell lipolysis, the cleavage of triglycerides and release of fatty acids and glycerol,
evolved to enable survival during prolonged food deprivation but is paradoxically increased
in obesity, in which a surfeit of all energy metabolites is found. Essential, previously-
unsuspected components have been discovered in the lipolytic machinery, at the protective
interface of the lipid droplet surface and in the signaling pathways that control lipolysis. At
least two adipocyte lipases are important for controlling lipolysis, hormone-sensitive lipase …