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en: Secreted Phospholipase A2 Specificity on Natural Membrane Phospholipids

en: The secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) family contains 10 catalytically active isoforms. Current in vitro biochemical studies have shown that individual sPLA2s have distinct substrate selectivity in terms of the polar head groups or sn-2 fatty acids of their substrate phospholipids. Importantly, transgenic or knockout mice for distinct sPLA2s display nonoverlapping phenotypes, arguing that they do act on different phospholipid substrates and mobilize unique lipid metabolites in vivo. In an effort to comprehensively understand lipid metabolism driven by individual sPLA2s under pathophysiological conditions, we took advantages of mass spectrometric lipidomics technology to monitor the spatiotemporal changes in phospholipids (substrates) and products (fatty acids, lysophospholipids, and their metabolites) in tissues or cells of sPLA2-transgenic or knockout mice. The in vivo lipidomic data were compared with the in vitro activity of recombinant sPLA2s toward phospholipid mixtures extracted from the target tissues, cells, or extracellular membrane components on which sPLA2s may intrinsically act. These approaches reveal that the overall tendency in in vitro assays using natural membranes is recapitulated in several in vivo systems, often with even more selective patterns of hydrolysis. In this chapter, we will summarize current understanding of the in vivo substrate specificity of sPLA2s toward natural membrane phospholipids.


en: The Roles of the Secreted Phospholipase A2 Gene Family in Immunology

en: Within the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family that hydrolyzes phospholipids to yield fatty acids and lysophospholipids, secreted PLA2 (sPLA2) enzymes comprise the largest group containing 11 isoforms in mammals. Individual sPLA2s exhibit unique tissue or cellular distributions and enzymatic properties, suggesting their distinct biological roles. Although PLA2 enzymes, particularly cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2α), have long been implicated in inflammation by driving arachidonic acid metabolism, the precise biological roles of sPLA2s have remained a mystery over the last few decades. Recent studies employing mice gene-manipulated for individual sPLA2s, in combination with mass spectrometric lipidomics to identify their target substrates and products in vivo, have revealed their roles in diverse biological events, including immunity and associated disorders, through lipid mediator-dependent or -independent processes in given microenvironments. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge of the roles of sPLA2s in various immune responses and associated diseases.