Abstract
Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) are important enzymes in signal transduction, being responsible for release of arachidonate from membrane phospholipids for the production of prostaglandins, leukotrienes, platelet-activating factors, and other bioactive lipids (1). Phospholipids are composed of a glycerophosphate in which the two hydroxyls are esterified with long-chain fatty acids and the phosphoryl moiety forms a phosphodiester bond with a polar “head group,” commonly choline, ethanolamine, serine, and inositol. Phospholipid structures are designated by a stereospecific nomenclature (sn) based on L-glycerol-3-phosphate. Thus, the fatty acid esterified to carbon-l of the glycerol backbone is termed the “sn-l” fatty acid, and is commonly saturated, e.g., palmitate. The fatty acid esterified to carbon-2 of the glycerol backbone is the sn 2 fatty acid, and is often polyunsaturated, e.g., arachidonate.
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© 1995 Humana Press Inc , Totowa, NJ
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Burch, R.M. (1995). Phospholipase A2 Activity. In: Kendall, D.A., Hill, S.J. (eds) Signal Transduction Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 41. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-298-1:279
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/0-89603-298-1:279
Publisher Name: Humana Press
Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-298-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-528-0
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