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GLYAT

GLYAT is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GLYAT rather than just read about it. In short: Glycine-N-acyltransferase, also known as GLYAT, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the GLYAT gene. Function The glycine-N-acyltransferase protein conjugates glycine with acyl-CoA substrates in the mitochondria primarily in liver and kidney.

GLYAT — main illustration
GLYAT — illustration

Key takeaways

  • GLYAT belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect GLYAT to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of GLYAT from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Glycine-N-acyltransferase, also known as GLYAT, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the GLYAT gene.

Function The glycine-N-acyltransferase protein conjugates glycine with acyl-CoA substrates in the mitochondria primarily in liver and kidney. The glycine N-acyltransferase enzyme is involved in the detoxification of a wide range of xenobiotic and endogenous metabolites. These include benzoic acid, a compound found in fruits and vegetables and used in medicine and foodstuffs as a preservative; salicylic acid, a metabolite of aspirin; and several endogenous metabolites. The diversity is demonstrated by the wide range of acylglycines excreted in the urines of patients with defects of organic acid metabolism. No defect of glycine N-acyltransferase has yet been described, but it has been demonstrated that there is significant inter individual variation in glycine conjugation capacity. Human glycine N-acyltransferase isoform a is a 296 amino acid protein translated from mRNA transcript splice variant 1. It is encoded by exons 2 to 6 of the mRNA transcript.

Molecular weight The literature reports it to be approximately 30 kDa, or approximately 27 kDa. The predicted size is 33.9 KDa. For the bovine enzyme a range of sizes between approximately 33 kDa and about 36 KDa is reported (Nandi, 1979, Vessey, 1992, van der Westhuizen, 2000). The predicted size of bovine GLYAT based on its sequence (accession number nm: 177486), is 33.9 kDa. This compares well to the experimentally determined sizes

References

Further reading

External links GLYAT human gene location in the UCSC Genome Browser. GLYAT human gene details in the UCSC Genome Browser.

Illustrations

GLYAT illustration
GLYAT illustration
GLYAT illustration
GLYAT illustration
GLYAT illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GLYAT

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GLYAT claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GLYAT before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GLYAT ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GLYAT

In research
GLYAT appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses GLYAT in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
GLYAT is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Genes on human chromosome 11, Human chromosome 11 gene stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for GLYAT outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GLYAT in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what GLYAT means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain GLYAT out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GLYAT in simple terms?

Glycine-N-acyltransferase, also known as GLYAT, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the GLYAT gene. Function The glycine-N-acyltransferase protein conjugates glycine with acyl-CoA substrates in the mitochondria primarily in liver and kidney.

Why does GLYAT matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GLYAT?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GLYAT.

Tags

  • Genes on human chromosome 11
  • Human chromosome 11 gene stubs

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