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Review Papers | Biomedical Sciences | India | Volume 6 Issue 3, March 2017
NAPE Phospholipase D Enzyme and Recent Advances in the Understanding of its Biological Properties
Abstract: N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are lipids obtained from the membranes that are used as signalling molecules in the nervous system for e. g the endocannabinoid anandamide. An N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) that catalyzes formation of NAEs was recently identified as a member of the zinc metallohydrolase family of enzymes. Immunocytochemical analysis has revealed intense NAPE-PLD immunoreactivity in the axons of granule cells. Substantial NAPE-PLD immunoreactivity was also detected in axons of the vomeronasal nerve that project to the accessory olfactory bulb. NAPE-PLD expression was detected in other brain regions also e. g. , cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus. It is suggested that NAEs generated by NAPE-PLD in axons may act as anterograde synaptic signaling molecules that regulate the activity of postsynaptic neurons. This article tries to encompass some of the recent advances in this area.
Keywords: NAPE-PLD, enzyme, endocannabinoid, Anandamide, neuron
Edition: Volume 6 Issue 3, March 2017,
Pages: 1406 - 1409