Abstract
The phospholipase A2 (PLA2) superfamily contains more than 50 enzymes in mammals that are subdivided into several distinct families on a structural and biochemical basis. In principle, PLA2 has the capacity to hydrolyze the sn-2 position of glycerophospholipids to release fatty acids and lysophospholipids, yet several enzymes in this superfamily catalyze other reactions rather than or in addition to the PLA2 reaction. PLA2 enzymes play crucial roles in not only the production of lipid mediators, but also membrane remodeling, bioenergetics, and body surface barrier, thereby participating in a number of biological events. Accordingly, disturbance of PLA2-regulated lipid metabolism is often associated with various diseases. This review updates the current state of understanding of the classification, enzymatic properties, and biological functions of various enzymes belonging to the PLA2 superfamily, focusing particularly on the novel roles of PLA2s in vivo.
Highlights
Based on their structural relationships, the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) superfamily is classified into several families, including the secreted PLA2, cytosolic PLA2, Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2, called patatin-like phospholipase (PNPLA)), platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), lysosomal PLA2 (LPLA2), PLA/acyltransferase (PLAAT), α/β hydrolase (ABHD), and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-specific PLA2 families
Readers interested in older views as a starting point for further readings should refer to our current reviews describing the classification of the PLA2 superfamily [1], those covering PLA2s and lipid mediators broadly [2,3], and those focusing on secreted PLA2 (sPLA2) [4,5,6,7]
We have provided an overview of the biological functions of a nearly full set of PLA2s identified to date, over the past five years during which considerable advances in this research field have been made
Summary
Based on their structural relationships, the PLA2 superfamily is classified into several families, including the secreted PLA2 (sPLA2), cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2), Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2, called patatin-like phospholipase (PNPLA)), platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), lysosomal PLA2 (LPLA2), PLA/acyltransferase (PLAAT), α/β hydrolase (ABHD), and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-specific PLA2 families. The in vivo functions of individual PLA2s rely on their enzymatic, biochemical, and cell biological properties, their tissue and cellular distributions, lipid composition in target membranes, the spatiotemporal availability of downstream lipid-metabolizing enzymes, or the presence of cofactor(s) that can modulate the enzymatic function, in various pathophysiological settings. We provide an overview of the biological roles of various PLA2s and their underlying lipid pathways, focusing mainly on new findings in the last five years. Readers interested in older views as a starting point for further readings should refer to our current reviews describing the classification of the PLA2 superfamily [1], those covering PLA2s and lipid mediators broadly [2,3], and those focusing on sPLA2s [4,5,6,7]
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