monoglyceride lipase; MGL; HU-K5; lysophospholipase homolog; lysophospholipase-like; monoacylglycerol lipase; MAGL (MGLL)

Function

• converts monoacylglycerides to free fatty acids & glycerol
• hydrolyzes 2-arachidonoylglycerol (putative endocannabinoid) thus contributing to regulation of pain
• hydrolyzes glycerol monoesters of long-chain fatty acids
• regulates levels of fatty acids involved in
  • signal transduction
  • cancer cell migration
  • tumor invasion
• triglyceride lipolysis, last step

Structure

• homodimer
• belongs to the AB hydrolase superfamily, monoacylglycerol lipase family

Expression

• expressed in adipose tissue, lung, liver, kidney, brain, heart

Pharmacology

• short-term inhibition causes analgesia
• long-term inhibition causes tolerance to endocannabinoids acting on brain cannabinoid receptor CNR1, & a reduction in brain cannabinoid receptor CNR1 activity (putative)
• potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease

More general terms

• lipase

Database

• Entrez gene: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=gene&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Graphics&list_uids=11343
• Kegg: http://www.genome.jp/dbget-bin/www_bget?hsa:11343
• OMIM: https://mirror.omim.org/entry/609699
• UniProt: http://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/Q99685.html