Obesity alters molecular architecture of liver cells; repairing structure reverses metabolic disease

Cells use their molecular architecture to regulate their metabolic functions, and repairing diseased cells’ architecture to a healthier state can also repair metabolism, according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers. The study used multiple computational platforms and high-resolution imaging with enhanced focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, to generate three-dimensional reconstructions of specialized structures, called organelles, inside cells and made a comparative analysis of organelle architecture and organization of liver cells from lean and obese samples. Through these analyses, the team determined that obesity leads to dramatic alterations in sub-cellular molecular architecture, particularly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an organelle involved in the creation and shaping of proteins and lipids. The study was published online on March 9, 2022, in Nature.