c-PLA2 (N499) polyclonal antibody

Phospholipase A2s (PLA2s) constitute a family of esterases that hydrolyze the sn-2-acyl ester bond in glycerophospholipid molecules. These enzymes are generally calcium-dependent and have been found both intra- and extracellularly. By hydrolyzing the sn-2 bond in glycerophospholipids, PLA2s release fatty acids. One such fatty acid, arachidonic acid, generates the substrates for the initiation of the arachidonic acid cascade that produces various eicosanoids (i.e. prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes), many of which are potent mediators of inflammation. PLA2s include both the relatively low molecular weight type I and type II enzymes and the form known as cytoplasmic PLA2 (cPLA2). cPLA2 is present in the cytosol of various cells and tissues including platelets, macrophages and monoblasts; and preferentially hydrolyzes the sn-2 position of phospholipid molecules, releasing free arachidonate.