We have previously shown that mice deficient in the gut enzyme intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) develop the metabolic syndrome that ultimately leads to diabetes and dyslipidemia (hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-cholesterol, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol) [18]. The gene discussed is ALPI; the disease is hypertriglyceridemia.