Intracellular compartmentalization of leukotriene synthesis: unexpected nuclear secrets

Leukotrienes are important lipid mediators implicated in the regulation of various cellular processes and in disease states as well as homeostasis. Re gulation of leukotriene biosynthesis is therefore of considerable interest. Although the levels of expression and catalytic activity of leukotriene-fo rming proteins have long been recognized as important determinants of leuko triene biosynthesis, it has recently become apparent that their intracellul ar compartmentalization also affects the integrated output of this biosynth etic pathway. In this minireview, we focus an the unexpected discovery that the nucleus is the key intracellular site for leukotriene biosynthesis and discuss the mechanisms that regulate protein localization and the potentia l implications of these findings. (C) 2001 Federation of European Biochemic al Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.