Lipidome Unsaturation Affects the Morphology and Proteome of the Drosophila Eye

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.3c00570
• Publication Date: 2024-03-14T21:15:56Z
• Authors: Mukesh Kumar; Canan Has; Khanh Lam-Kamath; Sophie Ayciriex; Deepshe Dewett; Mhamed Bashir; Clara Poupault; Kai Schuhmann; Henrik Thomas; Oskar Knittelfelder; Bharath Kumar Rag...; Robert Ahrends; Jens Rister; Andrej Shevchenko
• Keywords: 106037 Proteomik; membrane lipid unsaturation; retina; proteome; 106037 Proteomics; Drosophila; phototransduction; diet

Organisms respond to dietary and environmental challenges by altering the molecular composition of their glycerolipids and glycerophospholipids (GPLs), which may favorably adjust the physicochemical properties of lipid membranes. However, how lipidome changes affect the membrane proteome and, eventually, the physiology of specific organs is an open question. We addressed this issue in Drosophila melanogaster, which is not able to synthesize sterols and polyunsaturated fatty acids but can acquire them from food. We developed a series of semisynthetic foods to manipulate the length and unsaturation of fatty acid moieties in GPLs and singled out proteins whose abundance is specifically affected by membrane lipid unsaturation in the Drosophila eye. Unexpectedly, we identified a group of proteins that have muscle-related functions and increased their abundances under unsaturated eye lipidome conditions. In contrast, the abundance of two stress response proteins, Turandot A and Smg5, is decreased by lipid unsaturation. Our findings could guide the genetic dissection of homeostatic mechanisms that maintain visual function when the eye is exposed to environmental and dietary challenges.