Networking of phospholipases in plant signal transduction.

Phospholipases are activated in response to various cellular and environmental cues. Their activation can affect many cellular processes through their roles in signal transduction. Recent advances in the biochemical and molecular understanding of phospholipase D (PLD) have provided insights into potential networks of PLDs and other phospholipases in plants. PLDs are a family of heterogeneous enzymes, and the activities of the multiple types of PLDs are regulated in distinctly different manners. Phosphoinositides, free fatty acids, lysophospholipids, and calcium are differential modulators of PLDs. Since these modulators are substrates, products, or downstream targets of phospholipase As and phospholipase Cs, there are many potential regulatory and metabolic interrelationships among the various PLDs and other phospholipases.