Phospholipase A2, Pancreas (pPLA2)

Phospholipase A2 catalyzes the release of fatty acids from glycero-3-phosphocholines. The Sequences of pancreatic PLA2 enzymes from a variety of mammals have been reported. One striking feature of these enzymes is their close homology to venom phospholipases of snakes. Other forms of PLA2 have been isolated from brain, liver, lung, spleen, intestine, macrophages, leukocytes, erythrocytes, inflammatory exudates, chondrocytes, and platelets.In analogous human cDNA obtained from human lung, they also obtained and analyzed the apparently unique human gene encoding pancreatic PLA2. Hybridization probes made from human 'pancreatic' cDNA hybridized to two distinct genomic fragments of cobra DNA, indicating again a striking homology to one or more counterpart in one variety of snake.