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Formation ofN-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine andN-acylethanolamine (including anandamide) during glutamate-induced neurotoxicity

  • Anandamides And Covalent Modification By Lipids
  • Published:
Lipids

Abstract

N-Acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE) is present in very small amounts in mammalian tissues (less than 0.1% of total phospholipids). However, NAPE as well as its degradation product,N-acylethanolamine (NAE), can be formed in certain neuronal tissues in response to increased [Ca2+]i. A high [Ca2+]i will activate the NAPE-formingN-acyl-transferase using thesn-1 acyl group of a donor phospholipid as substrate in the transfer reaction. This membrane-bound enzyme seems to have no substrate specificity with respect to transfer of acyl groups; thus the fatty acids in theN-acyl group of NAPE are mainly 16:0 and 18:1, corresponding to the fatty acids in thesn-1 acyl group of the donor phospholipids. The NAPE-hydrolyzing phospholipase D also seems not to be acyl-group specific. In mouse neocortical neurons in primary culture, formation of NAPE and NAE is stimulated by glutamatevia activation of theN-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor. Both NAPE and, to a lesser extent, NAE accumulate in a linear fashion for many hours while at the same time the neurons are dying. Likewise, in neurons prelabeled with14C-arachidonic acid,14C-arachidonic acid-labeled NAPE, and anandamide (=N-arachi-donoylethanolamine) are accumulating. The formation of NAPE and NAE may represent a cytoprotective response in relation to various forms of neurotoxicity.

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Abbreviations

NAE:

N-acylethanolamine

NAPE:

N-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine

NMDA:

N-methyl-d-aspartate

PLD:

phospholipase D

Ptd-Etn:

phosphatidylethanolamine

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, The Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, 2 Universitetsparken, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Harald S. Hansen, Birthe Moesgaard, Henrik H. Hansen, Arne Schousboe & Gitte Petersen

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  1. Harald S. Hansen
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  2. Birthe Moesgaard
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Correspondence to Harald S. Hansen.

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Hansen, H.S., Moesgaard, B., Hansen, H.H. et al. Formation ofN-acyl-phosphatidylethanolamine andN-acylethanolamine (including anandamide) during glutamate-induced neurotoxicity. Lipids 34 (Suppl 1), S327–S330 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02562333

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