Most current knowledge about plant lipid metabolism has focused on the biosynthesis of lipids and their transport between different organelles. However, lipid composition changes during development and in response to environmental cues often go beyond adjustments of lipid biosynthesis. When lipids have to be removed to adjust the extent of membranes during down regulation of photosynthesis, or lipid composition has to be adjusted to alter the biophysical properties of membranes, or lipid derived chemical signals have to be produced, lipid-degrading enzymes come into play. This review focuses on glycerolipid acylhydrolases that remove acyl groups from glycerolipids and will highlight their roles in lipid remodeling and lipid-derived signal generation. One emerging theme is that these enzymes are involved in the dynamic movement of acyl groups through different lipid pools, for example from polar membrane lipids to neutral lipids sequestered in lipid droplets during de novo triacylglycerol synthesis. Another example of acyl group sequestration in the form of triacylglycerols in lipid droplets is membrane lipid remodeling in response to abiotic stresses. Fatty acids released for membrane lipids can also give rise to potent signaling molecules and acylhydrolases are therefore often the first step in initiating the formation of these lipid signals.

目前有关植物脂质代谢的最新知识集中在脂质的生物合成及其在不同细胞器之间的运输。但是，脂质组成在发育过程中的变化以及对环境线索的响应通常超出了脂质生物合成的调节范围。当在光合作用的下调过程中必须去除脂质以调节膜的程度，或者必须调整脂质组成以改变膜的生物物理特性，或者必须产生脂质衍生的化学信号时，脂质降解酶就发挥了作用。 。这篇评论集中在甘油脂酰基水解酶上，该酶从甘油脂上去除了酰基，并将重点介绍它们在脂质重塑和脂质衍生信号产生中的作用。一个新兴的主题是这些酶通过不同的脂质池参与酰基的动态运动，例如在从头合成三酰基甘油的过程中从极性膜脂质到螯合在脂质滴中的中性脂质。脂质小滴中的三酰基甘油形式的酰基螯合的另一个例子是响应非生物胁迫的膜脂质重塑。为膜脂质释放的脂肪酸也可以产生有效的信号分子，因此酰基水解酶通常是启动这些脂质信号形成的第一步。脂质小滴中的三酰基甘油形式的酰基螯合的另一个例子是响应非生物胁迫的膜脂质重塑。为膜脂质释放的脂肪酸也可以产生有效的信号分子，因此酰基水解酶通常是启动这些脂质信号形成的第一步。脂质小滴中的三酰基甘油形式的酰基螯合的另一个例子是响应非生物胁迫的膜脂质重塑。为膜脂质释放的脂肪酸也可以产生有效的信号分子，因此酰基水解酶通常是启动这些脂质信号形成的第一步。