Phospholipase

Phospholipase Cleavage Sites. Note that an enzyme that displays both PLA1 and PLA2 activities is called a Phospholipase B

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

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Overview

A phospholipase is an enzyme that converts phospholipids into fatty acids and other lipophilic substances. There are four major classes, termed A, B, C and D distinguished by what type of reaction they catalyze:

• Phospholipase A
  • Phospholipase A1 - cleaves the SN-1 acyl chain
  • Phospholipase A2 - cleaves the SN-2 acyl chain
• Phospholipase B - cleaves both SN-1 and SN-2 acyl chains, also known as a lysophospholipase.
• Phospholipase C - cleaves before the phosphate, releasing diacylglycerol and a phosphate-containing head group. Phospholipase Cs play a central role in signal transduction, releasing the second messenger Inositol triphosphate.
• Phospholipase D - cleaves after the phosphate, releasing phosphatidic acid and an alcohol.

Types C and D are considered phosphodiesterases.

See also

• Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy

External links

• MeSH Phospholipases

ca:Fosfolipasa