Assays of Lipogenic Enzymes

The deposition of fat in adipose tissue (AT) is an important aspect of energy metabolism. AT fat originates either from ingested fatty acids (FAs) or from de novo synthesis. The synthesis of FAs is active in several tissues (liver, mammary gland, lung, intestine, brown and white ATs); however, in rodents, white AT is the major site of lipogenesis, and contributes to more than 50% of total FA biosynthesis. Lipogenesis from glucose is regulated by the nutritional state: It is decreased to a minimum in carbohydrate deficiency, and is considerably enhanced during carbohydrate availability.