Microalgae have been emerging as an important source for the production of bioactive compounds. Marine diatoms can store high amounts of lipid and grow quite quickly. However, the genetic and biochemical characteristics of fatty acid biosynthesis in diatoms remain unclear. Glycerophospholipids are integral as structural and functional components of cellular membranes, as well as precursors of v...

PURPOSE We studied effects of diet-induced postmenopausal weight loss on gene expression and activity of proteins involved in lipogenesis and lipolysis in adipose tissue. METHODS Fifty-eight postmenopausal women with overweight (BMI 32.5 ± 5.5) were randomized to eat an ad libitum Paleolithic-type diet (PD) aiming for a high intake of protein and unsaturated fatty acids or a prudent control d...

The specific role of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in hepatic triglyceride (TG) accumulation in alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) were unclear. Poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) is a NAD-consuming enzyme and its specific role in the pathogenesis of AFLD is still elusive. In current investigation, we found that chronic alcohol exposure enhanced hepatic PARP expression and activity a...

The membrane proteins acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferases (DGAT) are essential actors for triglycerides (TG) biosynthesis in eukaryotic organisms. Microbial production of TG is of interest for producing biofuel and value-added novel oils. In the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, Dga1p enzyme from the DGAT2 family plays a major role in TG biosynthesis. Producing recombinant DGAT enzymes...

Acyl CoA-monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) catalyzes the first step in triacyglycerol resynthesis involved in dietary absorption in enterocytes. Despite its potentially important role in dietary fat absorption, a gene encoding a human intestinal MGAT has not been identified. In this study, we report the identification and functional characterization of a human intestinal MGAT (hMGAT2) and...

Background Triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the main seed storage lipids of plants. TAGs chemichal properties are largely dependent on their fatty acid composition. Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase (DGAT) genes encode the main enzymes needed for TAG biosynthesis. Different types of DGAT genes (named DGAT1, DGAT2, DGAT3 and DAcT) have been identified in plants. DGAT1 and DGAT2 are well characterized, b...

In this study, we investigated the role of liver X receptor (LXR) activation in hepatic assembly and in the secretion of very low density lipoprotein-triglycerides in goose primary hepatocytes. Goose primary hepatocytes were isolated and treated with the LXR agonist T0901317. Total triglyceride accumulation, intracellular and extracellular triglyceride concentrations, extracellular very low den...