Zebrafish lipid droplets regulate embryonic ATP homeostasis to power early development

In zebrafish embryos, the maternally supplied pool of ATP is insufficient to power even the earliest of developmental events (0–3 hpf) such as oocyte-to-embryo transition (OET). The embryos generate an additional pulse (2.5 h long) of ATP (1.25–4 hpf) to achieve the embryonic ATP homeostasis. We demonstrate that the additional pulse of ATP is needed for successful execution of OET. The maternally supplied yolk lipids play a crucial role in maintaining the embryonic ATP homeostasis. In this paper, we identify the source and trafficking routes of free fatty acids (FFAs) that feed the mitochondria for synthesis of ATP. Interestingly, neither the maternally supplied pool of yolk-FFA nor the yolk-FACoA (fatty acyl coenzyme A) is used for ATP homeostasis during 0–5 hpf in zebrafish embryos. With the help of lipidomics, we explore the link between lipid droplet (LD)-mediated lipolysis and ATP homeostasis in zebrafish embryos. Until 5 hpf, the embryonic LDs undergo extensive lipolysis that generates FFAs. We demonstrate that these newly synthesized FFAs from LDs are involved in the maintenance of embryonic ATP homeostasis, rather than the FFAs/FACoA present in the yolk. Thus, the LDs are vital embryonic organelles that maintain the ATP homeostasis during early developmental stages (0–5 hpf) in zebrafish embryos. Our study highlights the important roles carried on by the LDs during the early development of the zebrafish embryos.