Similarities Between Endocannabinoid Signaling in Animal Systems and N-Acylethanolamine Metabolism in Plants

Abstract

N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are minor lipid constituents of plant and animal cells, and their roles in mammalian physiology and neurobiology have been studied intensively for many years. However, corresponding studies on the function of NAEs in plants have appeared only recently. Within the last decade significant progress has been made in quantifying NAEs in plant tissues, characterizing their potential targets in plant cells and identifying the relevant enzyme involved in their degradation, but much remains to be determined regarding the role of these fatty acid amides in plant physiology. Although our understanding of the specific functions of NAE in plants is far from complete, recent advances in plant NAE biochemistry are pointing to intriguing similarities between animals and plants in the metabolism and perception of NAE. In this chapter we discuss NAEs as prospective signaling and regulatory molecules in plant cells. Advances in mammalian NAE research are presented when appropriate in order to draw parallels as well as to highlight differences between plant NAE metabolism and the endocannabinoid signaling system, the major pathway by which NAE exerts its physiological effects in animal cells.