| lecithal | Having a yolk or pertaining to the yolk of any egg; used especially as a suffix. Origin: G. Lekithos, egg yolk (05 Mar 2000) |
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| lecithin | <protein> Phospholipids of egg yolk (usually hen's eggs). A mixture of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, but usually refers to phosphatidylcholine. (18 Nov 1997) |
| lecithin acyltransferase | <enzyme> An enzyme that reversibly transfers an acyl residue from a lecithin to cholesterol, forming a 1-acylglycerophosphocholine (a lysolecithin) and a cholesterol ester; a deficiency of this enzyme leads to an accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in plasma resulting in anaemia, proteinuria, renal failure, and corneal opacities; LCAT is also low in individuals with fish-eye disease. Synonym: lecithin acyltransferase. Acronym: LCAT (05 Mar 2000) |
| lecithin acyltransferase deficiency | A disease characterised by deficiency or low levels of plasma lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase. Clinical manifestations include corneal opacity, anaemia, and proteinuria. (12 Dec 1998) |
| lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase | <enzyme> An enzyme that reversibly transfers an acyl residue from a lecithin to cholesterol, forming a 1-acylglycerophosphocholine (a lysolecithin) and a cholesterol ester; a deficiency of this enzyme leads to an accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in plasma resulting in anaemia, proteinuria, renal failure, and corneal opacities; LCAT is also low in individuals with fish-eye disease. Synonym: lecithin acyltransferase. Acronym: LCAT (05 Mar 2000) |
| lecithin-cholesterol transferase | A plasma enzyme that catalyses the uptake of cholesterol esters by intermediate-density lipoproteins formed by high density lipoproteins. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lecithin-retinol acyltransferase | <enzyme> Transfers 1-acyl moiety from lecithin to retinol-cellular retinol-binding protein, type II, to produce retinyl esters; does not use CoA Registry number: EC 2.3.1.- (26 Jun 1999) |
| lecithin/sphingomyelin ratio | A ratio used to determine foetal pulmonary maturity, found by testing the amniotic fluid; when the lungs are mature, lecithin exceeds sphingomyelin by 2 to 1. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lecithinase | <enzyme> See phospholipases. (18 Nov 1997) |
| lecithinase A | <enzyme> An enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of a lecithin to a lysolecithin by removing the 2-acyl group; also acts on other phospholipids by removing a fatty acid from the 2-position; this enzyme has an important role in prostaglandin and leukotriene biosynthesis. Synonym: lecithinase A, phosphatidase, phosphatidolipase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lecithinase B | <enzyme> An enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of a single fatty acid ester bond in lysoglycerophosphatidates with the formation of glyceryl phosphatidates and a fatty acid. Chemical name: 2-Lysophosphatidylcholine acylhydrolase Registry number: EC 3.1.1.5 (12 Dec 1998) |
| lecithinase C | <enzyme> An enzyme found in the alpha-toxin of clostridium welchii and other strains of clostridia and bacilli. It hydrolyzes glycerophosphatidates with the formation of 1,2-diacylglycerol and a phosphorylated nitrogenous base such as choline. Chemical name: Phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase Registry number: EC 3.1.4.3 (12 Dec 1998) |
| lecithinase D | <enzyme> An enzyme found mostly in plant tissue. It hydrolyzes glycerophosphatidates with the formation of a phosphatidic acid and a nitrogenous base such as choline. This enzyme also catalyses transphosphatidylation reactions. Chemical name: Phosphatidylcholine phosphatidohydrolase Registry number: EC 3.1.4.4 (12 Dec 1998) |
| lecithoblast | One of the cells proliferating to form the yolk-sac endoderm. Origin: G. Lekithos, egg yolk, + blastos, germ (05 Mar 2000) |
| lecithoprotein | A conjugated protein, with lecithin as the prosthetic group. (05 Mar 2000) |