The mouse genome encodes seven Ces2 genes and a pseudogene, which is opposed by a single CES2 gene in humans. Ces2/CES2 genes are mainly expressed in the liver and intestine. PP06 focuses on the role of all Ces2/CES2 members, including their hydrolytic activities and their role in health and disease, using loss- and gain-of-function experiments. In funding period 2, PP06 will study the functional role of Ces2a in lipid metabolism in the liver and relate it to the function of Ces2c. PP06 will also address the in vivo role of Ces2 genes in intestinal lipid metabolism and metabolic disease development.
