Abstract 2922 Structure and Lipid Recognition by Phosphatidic Acid Phosphatases

In eukaryotes, triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the primary energy storage molecules. Lipins are evolutionarily conserved enzymes that catalyze the penultimate step of triacylglycerol synthesis. Lipins are magnesium dependent phosphatidic acid phosphatases (PAPs) that catalyze the dephosphorylation of phosphatidic acid (PA) to generate diacylglycerol (DAG). This reaction is essential for the synthesis of TAG and the phospholipids that are the major constituents of phospholipid membranes. Lipins play a major role in lipid homeostasis, including de novo phospholipid biogenesis, fat storage as TAGs, adipocyte differentiation, and lipoprotein secretion.