The ABCs of lipid exposure in maintaining neural health.

Abstract

ABC transporters modulate lipid homeostasis and are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. In a recent study, Chen et al. uncovered unexpected dual roles for the Drosophila ABCA protein eater of debris (Eato), which suppresses phospholipid exposure in both neurons and phagocytes, conferring opposite functional outcomes in each cell type. This challenges classical models of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter function and reveals new mechanisms by which lipid signaling regulates neuron-glia interactions in neurodegenerative contexts.