biology

Monoacylglycerol lipase

Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase rather than just read about it. In short: Monoacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.23; systematic name glycerol-ester acylhydrolase, also known as MAG lipase, acylglycerol lipase, MAGL, MGL or MGLL) is an enzyme that, in humans, is encoded by the MGLL gene. MAGL is a 33-kDa, membrane-associated member of the serine hydrolase superfamily and contains the classical GXSXG consensus sequence common to most serine hydrolases.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Monoacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.23; systematic name glycerol-ester acylhydrolase, also known as MAG lipase, acylglycerol lipase, MAGL, MGL or MGLL) is an enzyme that, in humans, is encoded by the MGLL gene. MAGL is a 33-kDa, membrane-associated member of the serine hydrolase superfamily and contains the classical GXSXG consensus sequence common to most serine hydrolases. The catalytic triad has been identified as Ser122, His269, and Asp239.

Function Monoacylglycerol lipase catalyzes a reaction that uses water molecules to break (hydrolysis) the glycerol monoesters of long-chain fatty acids. It functions together with hormone-sensitive lipase (LIPE) to hydrolyze intracellular triglyceride stores in adipocytes and other cells to fatty acids and glycerol. MGLL may also complement lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in completing hydrolysis of monoglycerides resulting from degradation of lipoprotein triglycerides. Monoacylglycerol lipase is a key enzyme in the hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). It converts monoacylglycerols to the free fatty acid and glycerol. The contribution of MAGL to total brain 2-AG hydrolysis activity has been estimated to be ~85% (ABHD6 and ABHD12 are responsible for ~4% and ~9%, respectively, of the remainder), and this in vitro estimate has been confirmed in vivo by the selective MAGL inhibitor JZL184. Chronic inactivation of MAGL results in massive (>10-fold) elevations of brain 2-AG in mice, along with marked compensatory downregulation of CB1 receptors in selective brain areas.

Inhibitors MAGL enzyme inhibitors, for instance URB-602, URB-754, and JZL-184, produce cannabinoid-like behavioral effects in mice. Further examples include:

KML-29 JZL-195 – dual MAGL and FAAH inhibitor JW-642 As well as the following compounds which are under pharmaceutical development:

Elcubragistat (ABX-1431; Lu AG06466) Irafamdastat (BMS-986368; CC-97489) – dual MAGL and FAAH inhibitor PF-06818883 RG-6182 Small molecule MGLLi

See also Endocannabinoid enhancer Endocannabinoid reuptake inhibitor Triacylglycerol lipase Fatty acid amide hydrolase

References

Mentlein R, Heiland S, Heymann E (1980). "Simultaneous purification and comparative characterization of six serine hydrolases from rat liver microsomes". Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 200 (2): 547–59. doi:10.1016/0003-9861(80)90386-0. PMID 6776896. Pope JL, McPherson JC, Tidwell HC (1966). "A study of a monoglyceride-hydrolyzing enzyme of intestinal mucosa". J. Biol. Chem. 241 (10): 2306–10. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)96621-4. PMID 5916497.

External links Monoacylglycerol+lipases at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) EC 3.1.1.23 Monoglyceride lipase (MGLL) Human Protein Atlas This article incorporates text from the United States National Library of Medicine, which is in the public domain.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Monoacylglycerol lipase

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase

In research: Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase 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: Monoacylglycerol lipase is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics EC 3.1.1, Enzymes of unknown structure, Genes on human chromosome 3, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Monoacylglycerol lipase means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Monoacylglycerol lipase in simple terms?

Why does Monoacylglycerol lipase 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 Monoacylglycerol lipase?

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 Monoacylglycerol lipase.