Journal
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
Volume 276, Issue 46, Pages 42639-42644Publisher
AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC
DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M107351200
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Funding
- NIDA NIH HHS [DA13012, K02DA00375, DA12178] Funding Source: Medline
- NINDS NIH HHS [NS33247] Funding Source: Medline
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In mammals, specific lipids and amino acids serve as crucial signaling molecules. In bacteria, conjugates of lipids and amino acids (referred to as lipoamino acids) have been identified and found to possess biological activity. Here, we report that mammals also produce lipoamino acids, specifically the arachidonyl amino acids. We show that the conjugate of arachidonic acid and glycine (N-arachidonylglycine (NAGly)) is present in bovine and rat brain as well as other tissues and that it suppresses tonic inflammatory pain. The biosynthesis of NAGly and its degradation by the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase can be observed in rat brain tissue. In addition to NAGly, bovine brain produces at least two other arachidonyl amino acids: N-arachidonyl gamma -aminobutyric acid (NAGABA) and N-arachidonylalanine. Like NAGly, NAGABA inhibits pain. These findings open the door to the identification of other members of this new class of biomolecules, which may be integral to pain regulation and a variety of functions in mammals.
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