Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Endocannabinoid hydrolases.

Natsuo Ueda1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Kagawa Medical University, Miki, Japan. nueda@kms.ac.jp

Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators
|November 16, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inactivates endocannabinoids like anandamide. FAAH gene-deficient mice confirm its crucial role in anandamide metabolism, with other amidases also contributing.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The PLAAT family as phospholipid-related enzymes.

Progress in lipid research·2025
Same author

PLAAT5 as an N-acyltransferase responsible for the generation of anti-inflammatory N-acylethanolamines in testis.

Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids·2024
Same author

PLAAT1 expression triggers fragmentation of mitochondria in an enzyme activity-dependent manner.

Journal of biochemistry·2023
Same author

PLAAT1 deficiency alleviates high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation in mice.

FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·2023
Same author

GDE7 produces cyclic phosphatidic acid in the ER lumen functioning as a lysophospholipid mediator.

Communications biology·2023
Same author

Goods and Bads of the Endocannabinoid System as a Therapeutic Target: Lessons Learned after 30 Years.

Pharmacological reviews·2023
Same journal

Lack of Association between the Cytochrome P450 4F2 rs2108622 Genotype and Responses to Valsartan and Amlodipine among a Sample of Jordanian Hypertensive Patients.

Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators·2026
Same journal

A comprehensive review on the mechanistics of free fatty acid-induced insulin resistance and it's therapeutics: Molecular perspectives.

Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators·2026
Same journal

NPY deficiency protects against osteoporosis by altering bone lipid metabolism.

Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators·2026
Same journal

Beyond association: Mediation roles of lipidomics and cytokine in PCOS uncovered by cross-disciplinary genomics.

Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators·2026
Same journal

Aging induces the hepatic CYP4A-20-HETE axis with stage-dependent oxylipin remodeling.

Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators·2026
Same journal

Impact of COX-2 inhibition by DuP-697 on cyclin B1/Cdc2 dynamics in human medullary thyroid carcinoma cells.

Prostaglandins & other lipid mediators·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Enzymology

Background:

  • Endocannabinoids, such as anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), are key endogenous ligands for cannabinoid receptors.
  • These signaling molecules are inactivated through enzymatic hydrolysis.
  • Understanding the enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid breakdown is crucial for neuroscience and pharmacology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in the enzymology and molecular biology of endocannabinoid hydrolases.
  • To elucidate the structure, function, and physiological relevance of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).
  • To identify and characterize other enzymes involved in endocannabinoid metabolism.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of enzymological and molecular biological studies.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of cDNA cloning data for fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).
  • Examination of data from FAAH gene-deficient mouse models and studies on alternative amidases.

    • Main Results:

    • Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a membrane-bound enzyme that hydrolyzes anandamide and has broad substrate specificity, including oleamide and 2-AG.
    • cDNA cloning revealed FAAH's structure (579 amino acids) and identified key catalytic residues.
    • FAAH gene-deficient mice confirmed the enzyme's essential role in anandamide metabolism.
    • A distinct amidase, separate from FAAH, was identified in human and rat tissues, hydrolyzing N-acylethanolamines at acidic pH.
    • Multiple enzymes, including FAAH and esterases, may contribute to 2-AG hydrolysis.

    Conclusions:

    • Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is a primary enzyme in anandamide inactivation, with its structure and function well-characterized.
    • The genetic deletion of FAAH highlights its significant role in endocannabinoid signaling.
    • Additional amidases and esterases contribute to the complex enzymatic landscape of endocannabinoid metabolism, particularly for 2-AG.