NAPE Phospholipase D Enzyme and Recent Advances in the Understanding of its Biological Properties

N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) are lipids obtained from the membranes that are used as signalling molecules in the nervous system for e.g the endocannabinoid anandamide. An N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D (NAPE-PLD) that catalyzes formation of NAEs was recently identified as a member of the zinc metallohydrolase family of enzymes. Immunocytochemical analysis has revealed intense NAPE-PLD immunoreactivity in the axons of granule cells. Substantial NAPE-PLD immunoreactivity was also detected in axons of the vomeronasal nerve that project to the accessory olfactory bulb. NAPE-PLD expression was detected in other brain regions also e.g., cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus. It is suggested that NAEs generated by NAPE-PLD in axons may act as anterograde synaptic signaling molecules that regulate the activity of postsynaptic neurons. This article tries to encompass some of the recent advances in this area.