Monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (MOGAT1)

Monoacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (MOGAT1) is an acyltransferase enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of diacylglycerol from monoacylglycerol and fatty acyl-CoA, a key step in the biosynthesis of triglycerides and other physiologically important lipids[2][3]. MOGAT1 is highly expressed in liver, stomach, and adipose tissue in mice, and plays a prominent role in lipid metabolism, especially during fasting, where its expression is regulated by the nuclear receptor PPARα[1]. It is also implicated in metabolic diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, particularly as its expression is increased in steatotic liver and in obesity. Therapeutic inhibition leads to improved hepatic insulin sensitivity and reduced liver triglyceride content, making MOGAT1 a relevant drug target in metabolic disease research[1][3]. However, functional redundancy in lipid synthetic pathways (with enzymes like MGAT2 and DGATs) can limit the effect of single-enzyme targeting, and compensatory mechanisms may occur in chronic knockout models[3].

Other names

2-acylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1DC2DGAT2L1MGAT1hDC2DGAT2LAcyl-CoA:monoacylglycerol acyltransferase 1Diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase candidate 2Diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2-like protein 1diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 like 1diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2-like protein 1

Inhibition (e.g. via RNAi) leads to decreased MGAT activity, reduced triglyceride synthesis and hepatic steatosis, improved insulin resistance[1] Agonists/ligands of PPARα (affect expression, but not direct interaction with the enzyme)[1]