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Dr Howaida Nounou
College of science
Biochemistry department
Dr Howaida Nounou 1
Triacylglycerols
Also called neutral fats, triglycerides or TAGs.
Function
Function: storage of metabolic energy
high energy content ~38 kJ/g
stored in adipose tissue
Biosynthesis of TGs from 2 precursors
glycerol 3-phosphate
Fatty acyl-CoAs
synthesis generates a phosphatidic acid (DAG-3P:
diacylglycerol-3-P) (common intermediate in the
synthesis of TAGs, phosphoglyserides.)
Dr Howaida Nounou 2
The starting point is glycerol 3-P
that is formed:
2. To lesser extend by
phosphorylation of glycerol by
glycerol kinase that is active in
liver, kidney, intestine and lacting
mammary gland (Glycerol kinase
has very low activity in adipose
tissue and muscle)
Dr Howaida Nounou 3
The pathway involves 4 enzymatic steps
involving 3 acyltransferases and a
phosphatase
Dr Howaida Nounou 4
In most phosphatidates, the
fatty acyl chain attached to C1
is saturated, while the one
attached to C2 is unsaturated
Dr Howaida Nounou 5
(formed in
endoplasmic reticulum)
Pi
Diacylglycerol
(important in cell signaling)
(liver)
4th step: esterifies a
fatty acid at the C 3
of glycerol
transported to adipocytes
Dr Howaida Nounou 6