Cyclooxygenases: structural and functional insights

Cyclooxygenase (COX; prostaglandin G/H synthase, EC 1.14.99.1) catalyzes the first two steps in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins (PGs). The two COX isoforms COX-1 and COX-2 are the targets of the widely used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, indicating a role for these enzymes in pain, fever, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. The ubiquitous constitutive expression of COX-1 and inducible expression of COX-2 have led to the widely held belief that COX-1 produces homeostatic PGs, while PGs produced by COX-2 are primarily pathophysiological. However, recent discoveries call this paradigm into question and reveal as yet underappreciated functions for both enzymes.jlr This review focuses on some of these new insights.-Rouzer, C. A., and L. J. Marnett. Cyclooxygenases: structural and functional insights. J. Lipid Res. 2009. S29-S34.