Diacylglycerol

A diacylglycerol is a glycerol with only two fatty acids esterified to it. Diacylglycerol can be produced in several ways. Digestion of a triacylglycerol by triacylglycerol lipase yields a diacylglycerol.

Diacylglycerol lipase catalyzes hydrolysis of a fatty acid from diacylglycerol to make a monoacylglycerol.

> Diacylglycerol + H 2O <=> Monoacylglycerol + Fatty Acid

Diacylglycerol is also a participant in the reaction to make phosphatidylcholine:

> CDP--Choline + diacylglycerol <=> CMP + Phosphatidylcholine (catalyzed by CDP-Choline: 1,2-Diacylglycerol Phosphocholine Transferase)

See also: Pancreatic Lipase, Figure 19.2, Second Messenger Systems