Lysophospholipids

Although extraction of lipids from membranes can be induced in atomic force apparatus (Leckband et al., 1994) and biomembrane force probe (Evans et al., 1991) experiments, spontaneous dissociation of a lipid from a membrane occurs very rarely because it involves an energy barrier of about 20 kcal/mol (Cevc and Marsh, 1987). However, lipids are known to be extracted from membranes by various enzymes. One such enzyme is phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which complexes with membrane surfaces, destabilizes a phospholipid, extracts it from the membrane, and catalyzes the hydrolysis reaction of the srir2-acyl chain of the lipid, producing lysophospholipids and fatty acids (Slotboom et al., 1982 Dennis, 1983 Jain et al., 1995). SMD simulations were employed to investigate the extraction of a lipid molecule from a DLPE monolayer by human synovial PLA2 (see Eig. 6b), and to compare this process to the extraction of a lipid from a lipid monolayer into the aqueous phase (Stepaniants et al., 1997). 

J, Detergents exogenous detergents, lysophospholipids, free fatty acids... 

Edg receptors are a group of recently discovered G-protein coupled receptors, which mediate the action of lysophospholipids (sphingosine-1 -phosphate, lysophosphatidic acid). Tachykinins and their Receptors... 

Lipid phosphate phosphohydrolases (LPPs), formerly called type 2 phosphatidate phosphohydrolases (PAP-2), catalyse the dephosphorylation of bioactive phospholipids (phosphatidic acid, ceramide-1-phosphate) and lysophospholipids (lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate). The substrate selectivity of individual LPPs is broad in contrast to the related sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase. LPPs are characterized by a lack of requirement for Mg2+ and insensitivity to N-ethylmaleimide. Three subtypes (LPP-1, LPP-2, LPP-3) have been identified in mammals. These enzymes have six putative transmembrane domains and three highly conserved domains that are characteristic of a phosphatase superfamily. Whether LPPs cleave extracellular mediators or rather have an influence on intracellular lipid phosphate concentrations is still a matter of debate. 

Ly sophosphatidic acid (LPA) is the prototype of a group of bioactive lysophospholipids that act on specific G-protein-coupled receptors to mediate a wide variety of cellular functions. 

An overview of lysophospholipid GPCR is presented in Table 1. Presently best characterized are the receptors of the endothelial differentiation gene (EDG)... 

Lysophospholipids. Table 1 G-protein-coupled lysophospholipid receptors... 

In summary, the lysophospholipids are local mediators that regulate development, tissue regeneration and homoeostasis, but also play a role in inflammation, arteriosclerosis and cancer. 

Ishii I, Fukushima N, Ye X et al (2004) Lysophospholipid receptors signaling and biology. Annu Rev Biochem 73 321-354... 

Meyer zu Heringdorf D, Jakobs KH (2007) Lysophospholipid receptors signalling, pharmacology and regulation by lysophospholipid metabolism. Biochim Biophys Acta 1768 923-940... 

Phosphatidylcholine, commonly known as lecithin, is the most commonly occurring in natnre and consists of two fatty add moieties in each molecule. Phosphati-dylethanolamine, also known as cephahn, consists of an amine gronp that can be methylated to form other compounds. This is also one of the abundant phospholipids of animal, plant, and microbial origin. Phosphatidylserine, which has weakly acidic properties and is found in the brain tissues of mammals, is found in small amounts in microorganisms. Recent health claims indicate that phosphatidylserine can be used as a brain food for early Alzheimer s disease patients and for patients with cognitive dysfunctions. Lysophospholipids consist of only one fatty acid moiety attached either to sn-1 or sn-2 position in each molecule, and some of them are quite soluble in water. Lysophosphatidylchohne, lysophosphatidylserine, and lysophos-phatidylethanolamine are found in animal tissues in trace amounts, and they are mainly hydrolytic products of phospholipids. 

Oishi, K., Raynot, RL., Charp, P.A. and Kuo, J.F. (1988). Regulation of protein kinase C by lysophospholipids. Potential role in signal transduction. J. Biol. Chem. 263, 6865-6871. 

Two possible pathways for the biosynthesis of 2-AG have been proposed (1) a phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids followed by a second hydrolysis of the resulting 1,2-diacylglycerol by diacylglycerol lipase or (2) a phospholipase Ai (PLA,) activity that generates a lysophospholipid, which in turn is hydrolyzed to 2-AG by lysophospholipase C (Fig. 5) (Piomelli, 1998). Alternative pathways may also exist from either triacylglycerols by a neutral lipase activity or lysophosphatidic acid by a dephosphorylase. The fact that PLC and diacylglycerol lipase inhibitors inhibit 2-AG formation in cortical neurons supports the contention that 2-AG is, at least predominantly, biosynthesized by the PLC pathway (Stella, 1997). However, a mixed pathway may also be plausible. 

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