Alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver steatosis and steatohepatitis are characterized by the massive accumulation of lipid droplets (LDs) in the cytosol of hepatocytes. Although LDs are ubiquitous and ...dynamic organelles found in the cells of a wide range of organisms, little is known about the mechanisms and sites of LD biogenesis. To examine the participation of these organelles in the pathophysiological disorders of steatotic livers, we used a combination of mass spectrometry (matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight and LC‐MS electrospray) and Western blot analysis to study the composition of LDs purified from rat liver after a partial hepatectomy. Fifty proteins were identified. Adipose differentiation‐related protein was the most abundant, but other proteins such as calreticulin, TIP47, Sar1, Rab GTPases, Rho and actin were also found. In addition, we identified protein associated with lipid droplets I ALDI (tentatively named Associated with LD protein 1), a novel protein widely expressed in liver and kidney corresponding to the product of 0610006F02Rik (GI:27229118). Our results show that, upon lipid loading of the cells, ALDI translocates from the endoplasmic reticulum into nascent LDs and indicate that ALDI may be targeted to the initial lipid deposits that eventually form these droplets. Moreover, we used ALDI expression studies to view other processes related to these droplets, such as LD biogenesis, and to analyze LD dynamics. In conclusion, here we report the composition of hepatic LDs and describe a novel bona fide LD‐associated protein that may provide new insights into the mechanisms and sites of LD biogenesis.
The differential cross-section for the inclusive production of psi(2S) mesons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV has been measured with the LHCb detector. The data sample corresponds to an integrated ...luminosity of 36 pb-1. The psi(2S) mesons are reconstructed in the decay channels psi(2S) -> mu+ mu- and psi(2S) -> J/psi pi+ pi-, with the J/psi meson decaying into two muons. Results are presented both for promptly produced psi(2S) mesons and for those originating from b-hadron decays. In the kinematic range pT(psi(2S)) <= 16 GeV/c and 2 < y(psi(2S)) <= 4.5 we measure 1.44 +- 0.01 +- 0.12+0.2-0.4 mub for prompt psi(2S) production and 0.25 +- 0.01 +- 0.02 mub for psi(2S) from b-hadron decays, where the last uncertainty on the prompt cross-section is due to the unknown psi(2S) polarization. Recent QCD calculations are found to be in good agreement with our measurements. Combining the present result with the LHCb J/psi measurements we determine the inclusive branching fraction B(b -> psi(2S) X) = (2.73 +- 0.06 +- 0.16 +- 0.24) x 10^(-3), where the last uncertainty is due to the B(b -> J/psi X), B(J/psi -> mu+ mu-) and B(psi(2S) -> e+ e-) branching fraction uncertainties. All above results are corrected by an erratum included as an appendix.