title: Diacylglycerols and phosphatidates: which molecular species are intracellular messengers?
abstract: In eukaryotes, many receptor agonists use phospholipase-generated lipids as intracellular messengers. Receptor occupation stimulates the production of polyunsaturated 1,2-diacylglycerols by phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate specific phospholipases C and/or of mono-unsaturated and saturated phosphatidates by phospholipase-D-catalysed phosphatidylcholine breakdown. The primary phospholipase products are rapidly metabolized: polyunsaturated 1,2-diacylglycerols are converted to polyunsaturated phosphatidates by diacylglycerol kinase; mono-unsaturated and saturated phosphatidates are dephosphorylated to give mono-unsaturated and saturated 1,2-diacylglycerols by phosphatidate phosphohydrolase. The phospholipase-generated polyunsaturated 1,2-diacylglycerols and mono-unsaturated and saturated phosphatidates appear to be intracellular messengers, whereas their immediate metabolites probably do not have signalling functions.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Cancer Studies, University of Birmingham Edgbaston, UK.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Hodgkin
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Pettitt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Michell
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wakelam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids / Q000502:physiology*; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004075:Diglycerides; D010712:Phosphatidic Acids