Selectivity of phospholipid hydrolysis by phospholipase A2 enzymes in activated cells leading to polyunsaturated fatty acid mobilization

Phospholipase A2s are enzymes that hydrolyze the fatty acid at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone of membrane glycerophospholipids. Given the asymmetric distribution of fatty acids within phospholipids, where saturated fatty acids tend to be present at the sn-1 position, and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as those of the omega-3 and omega-6 series overwhelmingly localize in the sn-2 position, the phospholipase A2 reaction is of utmost...