Metabolism of arachidonic acid to eicosanoids within the nucleus.

Biochim Biophys Acta

Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Health System, 6301 MSRB III, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0642, USA.

Published: August 2006

The eicosanoids are a diverse family of molecules that have powerful effects on cell function. They are best known as intercellular messengers, having autocrine and paracrine effects following their secretion from the cells that synthesize them. Many of the eicosanoids are produced from one polyunsaturated fatty acid, arachidonic acid. The diversity of possible products that can be synthesized from arachidonic acid is due, in part to the variety of enzymes that can act on it. Over the past 15 years, studies have placed many, but not all, of these enzymes at or inside the nucleus. In some cases, the nuclear import or export of arachidonic acid-processing enzymes is highly regulated. Furthermore, nuclear receptors that are activated by specific eicosanoids are known to exist. Taken together, these findings indicate that the enzymatic conversion of arachidonic acid to specific signaling molecules can occur in the nucleus, that it is regulated, and that the synthesized products may act within the nucleus. The objectives of this commentary are to review what is known about the metabolism of arachidonic acid to eicosanoids within the nucleus and to point to important areas for future discovery.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2006.02.018DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

arachidonic acid
20
metabolism arachidonic
8
acid eicosanoids
8
eicosanoids nucleus
8
acid
6
eicosanoids
5
nucleus
5
arachidonic
5
nucleus eicosanoids
4
eicosanoids diverse
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!