Glycerol-3-Phosphate Acyltransferase, Mitochondrial (GPAM)

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT; EC 2.3.1.15), which catalyzes the initial and committing step in glycerolipid biosynthesis, is predicted to play a pivotal role in the regulation of cellular triacylglycerol and phospholipid levels. Two mammalian forms of GPAT have been identified on the basis of localization to either the endoplasmic reticulum or mitochondria.

Mitochondrial Gpat, or Gpam, is highly expressed in mouse lipogenic tissues, such as liver and adipose tissue. In animal studies, fasting/refeeding and administration of insulin caused a dramatic induction of Gpat. Consistent with these observations, putative carbohydrate-responsive sequences were identified in the proximal promoter of the murine cDNA.