DGKQ (diacylglycerol kinase theta) is a lipid kinase that catalyzes the phosphorylation of diacylglycerol (DAG) to phosphatidic acid (PA), functioning as a molecular switch regulating signaling pathways downstream of growth factors and G protein-coupled receptors 12. Within adrenocorticotropic hormone signaling, DGKQ-generated PA activates steroidogenic gene transcription 3. The enzyme also regulates synaptic vesicle endocytosis 4 and operates downstream of nerve growth factor signaling in the nucleus. Genetic variants in DGKQ associate with Parkinson's disease (PD) risk. The rs11248060 variant increases PD susceptibility in Caucasian and Chinese populations 5, while the GAK-DGKQ locus contains secondary independent risk variants 6. DGKQ emerges as a candidate drug target for PD through proteomic prioritization 7, and systems genetics analyses identify DGKQ among prioritized PD risk genes 8. Beyond neurodegeneration, DGKQ represents a therapeutic target for metabolic disease. The phytochemical atractylenolide II acts as an allosteric DGKQ activator, reducing hepatic DAG-PKCε signaling and ameliorating obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatosteatosis 9. Additionally, DGKQ methylation changes correlate with lipid dysmetabolism in Alzheimer's disease 10, suggesting epigenetic dysregulation contributes to neurodegeneration.