Diglyceride

When 1,2-diacyl -sn- glycerols (also simply diacylglycerols (DAG ) ) are naturally occurring chemical compounds of glycerol, namely by its fatty acid esters with the fatty acids caproic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, arachidonic acid, or stearic acid. There are intermediates in the biosynthesis of triglycerides and products of the cleavage of the membrane lipid phosphatidylinositol -4 ,5 -bisphosphate ( PIP2 ) by phospholipase C (PLC ). DAG generally belong to the diglycerides.

1,2- Diacyglycerine are often used in second messenger systems. They recruit enzymes to the cell membrane and anchor it there.

Inter alia to be involved in the activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and Munc 13-1. Protein kinase C then phosphorylated enzymes in the cytosol and thus influences the gene expression. Munc 13-1 is a protein that plays a role in the release of transmitters into the synaptic cleft.

Importance in medicine

Elevated blood glucose levels cause in patients with diabetes mellitus in a rise in diacylglycerol concentration in the cell, thus leading to activation of protein kinase C. This promotes the production of extracellular matrix and cytokines, increases the contractility and permeability ( permeability ) of blood vessels, increases the cell growth in blood vessels activates the phospholipase A2, and inhibits Na / K -ATPase. This results in vascular damage the retina of the eye, the kidney and the heart.