Meta-Biol

• Pathways

Fatty acids (FAs) are used as energy substrates and are stored as triglycerides. Triacylglycerol (TAG) has to be cleaved by lipases to be able to move in and out of cells for usage. Hepatic triacylglycerol lipase (LIPC) is one of several enzymes that catalyses the hydrolysis of TAGs to free fatty acids (FAs) and diacylglycerol (DAG) (Hegele et al. 1993, Santamarina-Fojo et al. 2004). Defects in LIPC can cause hepatic lipase deficiency (HL deficiency; MIM:614025), a disorder characterised by premature atherosclerosis and abnormal circulating lipoproteins (Hegele et al. 1992, 1993).