KIAA1363—A Multifunctional Enzyme in Xenobiotic Detoxification and Lipid Ester Hydrolysis

KIAA1363, annotated as neutral cholesterol ester hydrolase 1 (NCEH1), is a member of the arylacetamide deacetylase (AADAC) protein family. The name-giving enzyme, AADAC, is known to hydrolyze amide and ester bonds of a number of xenobiotic substances, as well as clinical drugs and of endogenous lipid substrates such as diglycerides, respectively. Similarly, KIAA1363, annotated as the first AADAC-like protein, exhibits enzymatic activities for a diverse substrate range including the xenobiotic insecticide chlorpyrifos oxon and endogenous substrates, acetyl monoalkylglycerol ether, cholesterol ester, and retinyl ester. Two independent knockout mouse models have been generated and characterized. However, apart from reduced acetyl monoalkylglycerol ether and cholesterol ester hydrolase activity in specific tissues and cell types, no gross-phenotype has been reported. This raises the question of its physiological role and whether it functions as drug detoxifying enzyme and/or as hydrolase/lipase of endogenous substrates. This review delineates the current knowledge about the structure, function and of the physiological role of KIAA1363, as evident from the phenotypical changes inflicted by pharmacological inhibition or by silencing as well as knockout of KIAA1363 gene expression in cells, as well as mouse models, respectively.