Twenty years ago, N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) were considered by many lipid chemists to be biological “artifacts” of tissue damage, and were at best, thought to be minor lipohilic constituents of various organisms. However, that changed dramatically in 1993, when anandamide, an NAE of arachidonic acid (N-arachidonylethanolamine), was shown to bind to the human cannabinoid receptor (CB1) and activate intracellular signal cascades in mammalian neurons. Now NAEs of various types have been identified in diverse multicellular organisms where they display profound biological effects. While targets of NAEs are still being uncovered, and likely vary among eukaryotic species, there appears to be remarkable conservation of the machinery that metabolizes these bioactive fatty acid conjugates of ethanolamine. This review focuses on the metabolism and functions of NAEs in higher plants, making specific reference to the formation, hydrolysis and oxidation of these potent lipid mediators. Discussion is centered mostly on early seedling growth and development where NAE metabolism has received the most attention, but also considers other areas of plant development where the influence of NAE metabolism has been implicated. We point out, where appropriate, cross-kingdom conservation in NAE metabolic pathways and metabolites, and suggest areas where opportunities for further investigation seem most pressing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:

 

24397856

 

[PubMed – as supplied by publisher]