Reacylated

Reacylated is the past participle form of reacylate, a term used in chemistry to describe a molecule that has undergone reacylation—the reintroduction of an acyl group (R-CO-) onto a substrate that had previously lost or had a different acyl group. Reacylation can occur in various contexts, including organic synthesis and biochemical pathways, and it results in a molecule bearing a new or restored acyl substituent.

In organic synthesis, reacylation refers to reattaching an acyl moiety to a nucleophilic site on a substrate, typically after prior deacylation or substitution. Common acyl donors include acyl chlorides, anhydrides, or activated esters, and the reaction can create esters, amides, or other acyl-containing products. The choice of reagent, solvent, and catalyst influences chemoselectivity and the position at which the acyl group is reintroduced.

Biochemical contexts include lipid remodeling, such as the reacylation of lysophospholipids to form phospholipids. In this scenario, acyltransferase enzymes transfer an acyl group from an acyl-CoA donor to the substrate, a process described within the broader Lands cycle of membrane lipid metabolism. Reacylation can also occur in peptide and protein chemistry, where amino or other nucleophilic sites are re-acylated under controlled conditions.

Reacylated compounds are described as products of the reacylation process. The term underscores the restoration or modification of the acylation state of a molecule, distinguishing them from species that have not undergone such reintroduction of an acyl group. See also acylation and transacylation.