title: Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases: rate limiting enzymes of triacylglycerol biosynthesis.
abstract: Four homologous isoforms of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT), each the product of a separate gene, catalyze the synthesis of lysophosphatidic acid from glycerol-3-phosphate and long-chain acyl-CoA. This step initiates the synthesis of all the glycerolipids and evidence from gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies in mice and in cell culture strongly suggests that each isoform contributes to the synthesis of triacylglycerol. Much work remains to fully delineate the regulation of each GPAT isoform and its individual role in triacylglycerol synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, CB# 7461, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Angela A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Wendel
authors.forename: Tal M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: Rosalind A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Coleman
mesh_terms: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D005992:Glycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes; D007700:Kinetics; D050155:Lipogenesis; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000201:enzymology; D015388:Organelles / Q000201:enzymology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008246:Lysophospholipids; D014280:Triglycerides; C029620:alpha-glycerophosphoric acid; D005992:Glycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase; C032881:lysophosphatidic acid