Biochemical Characterization and Purification of Intestinal Acylglycerol Acyltransferases

Following absorption, the hydrolysis products of the dietary fats are largely converted to triacylglycerols via several established pathways involving further hydrolysis and/or re-esterification. During recent years, some of the enzymes involved in the various metabolic transformations have been demonstrated, and, in some cases, have been purified to homogeneity and characterized. The intestinal triacylglycerol biosynthesis occurs via the monoacylglycerol pathway and the triose-phosphate pathway. The nonruminant animal species primarily make use of the monoacylglycerol pathway, ^{1 – 5} while the ruminant species principally use the triose-phosphate pathway. ^{6 – 8}