title: Recent insights into the structure and function of comparative gene identification-58.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Comparative gene identification-58 (CGI-58) is an important player in lipid metabolism. It acts as activator of triglyceride hydrolases and as acyl-CoA-dependent lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. This review aims at establishing a structure-function relationship of this still rather enigmatic protein based on recent studies characterizing different functions of CGI-58.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Novel studies confirm the important regulatory role of CGI-58 as activator of the triglyceride hydrolase adipose triglyceride lipase. New evidence, corroborated by the characterization of a CGI-58 knockout mouse model, also suggests the existence of yet unknown lipases that are activated by CGI-58. Additionally, CGI-58 was identified to exert acyl-CoA-dependent lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity, which implies possible roles in triglyceride or phospholipid synthesis or signaling processes. Unlike mammalian CGI-58 proteins, orthologs from plants and yeast additionally act as weak triglyceride and phospholipid hydrolases. A first three-dimensional model was calculated and allows preliminary structural considerations for the functions of CGI-58.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite important progress concerning the different biochemical functions of CGI-58, the physiological importance of these activities requires better characterization. Furthermore, three-dimensional structural data for CGI-58 are required to unveil the molecular mechanism of how CGI-58 acts as activator of lipases and exerts its enzymatic functions.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria. m.oberer@uni-graz.at
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oberer
authors.forename: Andras
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boeszoermenyi
authors.forename: Harald M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zechner
mesh_terms: D051103:1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D008066:Lipolysis; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011487:Protein Conformation; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012867:Skin / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D051103:1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase; C439972:ABHD5 protein, human