Abstract
Extracellular stimuli elicit cellular responses through generation of intracellular second messengers. The lipid second messenger diacylglycerol is produced following activation of the phosphoinositide signalling system. Diacylglycerol is the physiological activator of protein kinase C but also interacts indirectly with other signalling molecules such as small G proteins. Diacylglycerol kinases convert diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid so terminating signalling through diacylglycerol. However, phosphatidic acid itself has a lipid second messenger role, with targets distinct from those of its precursor diacylglycerol. Therefore, diacylglycerol kinases occupy a central position in signal transduction and regulation of their activity is crucial to cellular function. A family of nine mammalian diacylglycerol kinases have been identified. Their structural diversity and complex pattern of tissue expression suggests that they function in distinct cellular processes. In addition to the plasma membrane, diacylglycerol kinases are found at the nucleus and cytoskeleton and translocation between subcellular compartments occurs with agonist stimulation. In small arteries diacylglycerol kinase activity is increased by adrenergic stimulation implying a role in vascular smooth muscle responses. Due to their role as key regulators of protein kinase C activity diacylglycerol kinases may play a role in the cardiovascular changes that occur in hypertension and as such could represent novel therapeutic targets.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 digital issues and online access to articles
$119.00 per year
only $9.92 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ohanian, J., Ohanian, V. Lipid second messenger regulation: the role of diacylglycerol kinases and their relevance to hypertension. J Hum Hypertens 15, 93–98 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001139
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001139
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
The impact of lipid metabolism on breast cancer: a review about its role in tumorigenesis and immune escape
Cell Communication and Signaling (2023)
-
A comparative metabolomics study on anadromous clupeid Tenualosa ilisha for better understanding the influence of habitat on nutritional composition
Metabolomics (2020)
-
Phospholipase C activity is increased in wheat seedlings inoculated with the rhizobacteria Azospirillum brasilense Sp245
Acta Physiologiae Plantarum (2019)
-
R59949, a diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor, inhibits inducible nitric oxide production through decreasing transplasmalemmal l-arginine uptake in vascular smooth muscle cells
Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology (2017)
-
Global Changes in Lipid Profiles of Mouse Cortex, Hippocampus, and Hypothalamus Upon p53 Knockout
Scientific Reports (2016)