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Lipid Signaling in Plants pp 293–306Cite as

Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase and the Metabolism of N-Acylethanolamine Lipid Mediators in Plants

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Part of the book series: Plant Cell Monographs ((CELLMONO,volume 16))

Abstract

N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are a group of fatty acid derivatives that have been identified in a wide range of multicellular eukaryotes, some unicellular eukaryotes, and in a limited number of prokaryotes. The precise acyl composition of the NAE pool in organisms is variable and the overall levels of NAEs fluctuate with changes in development or in response to cellular stresses, especially where it has been studied in animal and plant systems. In animals, these lipids belong to the endocannabinoid pathway where they regulate diverse behavioral and physiological processes. In plant systems, these NAEs have potent growth-regulating activities, which are terminated by their hydrolysis. The inactivation of NAEs, in part, is accomplished by an enzyme identified as a functional homolog of the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) that regulates endocannabinoid metabolism in vertebrates. Here, the molecular and biochemical characteristics of this enzyme and its role in NAE metabolism in plants are reviewed.

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Acknowledgments

Work in the authors’ laboratories on N-acylethanolamine metabolism has been supported by grants from the USDA-NRI competitive grants program and the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Biosciences Program. We thank Dr. Charlene Case-Richardson for assistance with manuscript preparation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, Center for Plant Lipid Research, Denton, TX, 76203, USA

    Kent D. Chapman

Authors
  1. Kent D. Chapman
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  2. Elison B. Blancaflor
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Correspondence to Kent D. Chapman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Swammerdam Inst. Life Science, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 318, Amsterdam, 1098 SM, Netherlands

    Teun Munnik

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Chapman, K.D., Blancaflor, E.B. (2010). Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase and the Metabolism of N-Acylethanolamine Lipid Mediators in Plants. In: Munnik, T. (eds) Lipid Signaling in Plants. Plant Cell Monographs, vol 16. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03873-0_19

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