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Nonclassic eicosanoids are biologically active
signaling molecules In biology, cell signaling (cell signalling in British English) or cell communication is the ability of a cell to receive, process, and transmit signals with its environment and with itself. Cell signaling is a fundamental property of all cellula ...
made by
oxygenation Oxygenation may refer to: * Oxygenation (environmental), a measurement of dissolved oxygen concentration in soil or water * Oxygen saturation (medicine), the process by which concentrations of oxygen increase within a tissue * Water oxygenation, t ...
of twenty-carbon
fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, fr ...
s other than the classic
eicosanoid Eicosanoids are signaling molecules made by the enzymatic or non-enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid or other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are, similar to arachidonic acid, around 20 carbon units in length. Eicosanoids are a s ...
s.


Terminology

: "Eicosanoid" is the collective term for oxygenated derivatives of three different 20-carbon
essential fatty acids Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that humans and other animals must ingest because the body requires them for good health but cannot synthesize them. Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans: alpha-linolenic ac ...
Eicosapentaenoic acid Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; also icosapentaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid. In physiological literature, it is given the name 20:5(n-3). It also has the trivial name timnodonic acid. In chemical structure, EPA is a carboxylic acid with a 20-c ...
(EPA),
Arachidonic acid Arachidonic acid (AA, sometimes ARA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6), or 20:4(5,8,11,14). It is structurally related to the saturated arachidic acid found in cupuaçu butter. Its name derives from the New Latin word ''arachi ...
(AA) and Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA). Current usage limits the term to the
leukotriene Leukotrienes are a family of eicosanoid inflammatory mediators produced in leukocytes by the oxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) and the essential fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) by the enzyme arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase. Leukotrienes ...
s (LT) and three types of
prostanoid Prostanoids are active lipid mediators that regulate inflammatory response. Prostanoids are a subclass of eicosanoids consisting of the prostaglandins (mediators of inflammatory and anaphylactic reactions), the thromboxanes (mediators of vasocons ...
s—
prostaglandin The prostaglandins (PG) are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds called eicosanoids having diverse hormone-like effects in animals. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every tissue in humans and other animals. They are derive ...
s (PG)
prostacyclin Prostacyclin (also called prostaglandin I2 or PGI2) is a prostaglandin member of the eicosanoid family of lipid molecules. It inhibits platelet activation and is also an effective vasodilator. When used as a drug, it is also known as epoprosteno ...
s (PGI), and
thromboxane Thromboxane is a member of the family of lipids known as eicosanoids. The two major thromboxanes are thromboxane A2 and thromboxane B2. The distinguishing feature of thromboxanes is a 6-membered ether-containing ring. Thromboxane is named for its ...
s (TX). However, several other classes can technically be termed eicosanoid, including the
eoxin Eoxins are proposed to be a family of proinflammatory eicosanoids (signaling compounds that regulate inflammatory and immune responses). They are produced by human eosinophils (a class of white blood cells), mast cells, the L1236 Reed–Sternberg ...
s,
hepoxilin Hepoxilins (Hx) are a set of epoxyalcohol metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), i.e. they possess both an epoxide and an alcohol (i.e. hydroxyl) residue. HxA3, HxB3, and their non-enzymatically formed isomers are nonclassic eicosanoid ...
s,
resolvins Resolvins are specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) derived from omega-3 fatty acids, primarily eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as well as docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and clupanodonic acid. As autacoids similar ...
,
isofuran Isofurans are nonclassic eicosanoids formed nonenzymatically by free radical mediated peroxidation of arachidonic acid Arachidonic acid (AA, sometimes ARA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6), or 20:4(5,8,11,14). It is structura ...
s,
isoprostane The isoprostanes are prostaglandin-like compounds formed ''in vivo'' from the free radical-catalyzed peroxidation of essential fatty acids (primarily arachidonic acid) without the direct action of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. The compounds wer ...
s,
lipoxin A lipoxin (LX or Lx), an acronym for lipoxygenase interaction product, is a bioactive autacoid metabolite of arachidonic acid made by various cell types. They are categorized as nonclassic eicosanoids and members of the specialized pro-resolvin ...
s,
epi-lipoxin Epi-lipoxins are trihydroxy (i.e. containing 3 hydroxyl residues) metabolites of arachidonic acid. They are 15''R''-epimers of their lipoxin counterparts; that is, the epi-lipoxins, 15-epi-lipoxin A4 (15-epi-LxA4) and 15-epi-lipoxin B4 (15-epi-L ...
s, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and
endocannabinoids Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant primarily and most animal organisms (although insects lack such receptors) or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tet ...
. LTs and prostanoids are sometimes termed 'classic eicosanoids' in contrast to the 'novel', 'nonclassic' or 'eicosanoid-like' eicosanoids. The classic eicosanoids are
autocrine Autocrine signaling is a form of cell signaling in which a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger (called the autocrine agent) that binds to autocrine receptors on that same cell, leading to changes in the cell. This can be contrasted with pa ...
and
paracrine Paracrine signaling is a form of cell signaling, a type of cellular communication in which a cell produces a signal to induce changes in nearby cells, altering the behaviour of those cells. Signaling molecules known as paracrine factors diffuse ove ...
mediators, active at micromolar concentrations (or lower), produced with high stereospecificity. They are produced from EFAs (chiefly AA) from either
cyclooxygenase Cyclooxygenase (COX), officially known as prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase (PTGS), is an enzyme (specifically, a family of isozymes, ) that is responsible for formation of prostanoids, including thromboxane and prostaglandins such as prosta ...
(COX) or 5-lipoxygenase. Broadly, the nonclassic eicosanoids are the products of 20-carbon EFAs and * Other oxygenation enzymes, (
eoxin Eoxins are proposed to be a family of proinflammatory eicosanoids (signaling compounds that regulate inflammatory and immune responses). They are produced by human eosinophils (a class of white blood cells), mast cells, the L1236 Reed–Sternberg ...
s,
hepoxilin Hepoxilins (Hx) are a set of epoxyalcohol metabolites of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), i.e. they possess both an epoxide and an alcohol (i.e. hydroxyl) residue. HxA3, HxB3, and their non-enzymatically formed isomers are nonclassic eicosanoid ...
s,
resolvins Resolvins are specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) derived from omega-3 fatty acids, primarily eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as well as docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and clupanodonic acid. As autacoids similar ...
,
lipoxin A lipoxin (LX or Lx), an acronym for lipoxygenase interaction product, is a bioactive autacoid metabolite of arachidonic acid made by various cell types. They are categorized as nonclassic eicosanoids and members of the specialized pro-resolvin ...
s,
epi-lipoxin Epi-lipoxins are trihydroxy (i.e. containing 3 hydroxyl residues) metabolites of arachidonic acid. They are 15''R''-epimers of their lipoxin counterparts; that is, the epi-lipoxins, 15-epi-lipoxin A4 (15-epi-LxA4) and 15-epi-lipoxin B4 (15-epi-L ...
s, epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs)); * Uncatalyzed oxygenation reactions, (
isofuran Isofurans are nonclassic eicosanoids formed nonenzymatically by free radical mediated peroxidation of arachidonic acid Arachidonic acid (AA, sometimes ARA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6), or 20:4(5,8,11,14). It is structura ...
s,
isoprostane The isoprostanes are prostaglandin-like compounds formed ''in vivo'' from the free radical-catalyzed peroxidation of essential fatty acids (primarily arachidonic acid) without the direct action of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. The compounds wer ...
s, phytoprostanes); * Addition reactions other than oxygenation (
endocannabinoids Cannabinoids () are several structural classes of compounds found in the cannabis plant primarily and most animal organisms (although insects lack such receptors) or as synthetic compounds. The most notable cannabinoid is the phytocannabinoid tet ...
). Also included are * Side products from the classic eicosanoid biosynthesis, (
levuglandin Levuglandins are reactive aldehydes formed by the spontaneous rearrangement of prostaglandin H (PGH). Enantiomerically pure levuglandin (LG) E2 can also be formed through the cyclooxygenase (COX) pathway by a rearrangement of the prostaglandin (P ...
s,
Oxoeicosanoid The oxoeicosanoids are nonclassic eicosanoids, derived from arachidonic acid (AA). For example, Lipoxygenase produces 5-HETE from AA; a dehydrogenase then produces 5-oxo-eicosatetraenoic acid, an oxoeicosanoid, from 5-HETE. They are similar to ...
s); * Reactions between other fatty acids and these pathways (the COX products of pinolenic and
mead acid Mead acid is an omega-9 fatty acid, first characterized by James F. Mead. As with some other omega-9 polyunsaturated fatty acids, animals can make Mead acid ''de novo''. Its elevated presence in the blood is an indication of essential fatty acid ...
).


See also

*
Docosanoid In biochemistry, docosanoids are signaling molecules made by the metabolism of twenty-two-carbon fatty acids (EFAs), especially the omega-3 fatty acid, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (i.e. 4''Z'',7''Z'',10''Z'',13''Z'',16''Z'',19''Z''-docosahexaenoic a ...
s


References

Eicosanoids