Phosphatidic Acid

Phosphatidic acid (PA) is an important constituent of cell membranes. It plays several roles in the functioning of cells; being utilized as a precursor in the biosynthesis of other lipids, facilitating vesicle fission/fusion via its biophysical properties and acting as a signaling lipid. The monoacyl derivative, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), acts as a potent signaling molecule through the activation of high-affinity G-protein coupled receptors (LPA₁, LPA₂ and LPA₃, formerly, EDG₂, EDG₄ and EDG₇; and recently identified LPA₄, LPA₅ and LPA₆). LPA signaling stimulates cell proliferation, and therefore has been linked to cancer through aberrations in the LPA regulation pathway. Cyclic lysophosphatidic acid (cPA or cLPA), in contrast to LPA, exhibits antiproliferative activity and inhibits cancer cell invasion and metastasis.

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Wadhwani, P., R.F. Epand, N. Heidenreich, J. Burck, A.S. Ulrich, and R.M. Epand. (2012). Membrane-active peptides and the clustering of anionic lipids.  Biophys J 103:265-74. [PubMed]