Sr. James et Cp. Downes, STRUCTURAL AND MECHANISTIC FEATURES OF PHOSPHOLIPASES-C - EFFECTORS OF INOSITOL PHOSPHOLIPID-MEDIATED SIGNAL-TRANSDUCTION, Cellular signalling, 9(5), 1997, pp. 329-336
The production of the intracellular second messengers inositol (1,4,5)
-trisphosphate (InsP(3)) and sn 1,2-diacylglycerol (DG) in response to
a wide variety of extracellular primary messengers is achieved by an
extended family of inositol phospholipid phosphodiesterases termed pho
spholipases C (PLC, E.C. 3.1.4.11). This family has been the subject o
f extensive research and it is clear that the different isoenzymes exh
ibit some common characteristics (e.g., interactions with substrates)
and other distinctive features (e.g., modes of regulation). The recent
description of the X-ray crystal structure of a mammalian PLC has ser
ved to clarify much about the behaviour of the PLCs, emphasising the '
'modular'' structure of these enzymes. The main focus of this review w
ill concern the specific adaptations of PLC molecules which make them
efficient lipid-metabolising enzymes. We also describe what is known a
bout how these enzymes interact with their lipid substrates, which wil
l serve as a basis for considering how PLCs may be activated. (C) 1997
Elsevier Science Inc.