Pancreatic and Snake Venom Phospholipases A₂

Abstract

Chapters 6–8 covered the mammalian phospholipases that are cellular for the most part. This chapter and the following chapters also include some mammalian phospholipases A₂; however, these are extracellular and originate from the pancreas of different species. Since the pancreatic phospholipases are of a general class of phospholipases A₂ that are closely related to the enzymes from venoms, they are covered together. There is reason to believe that some cellular phospholipases A₂ might have properties in common with the extracellular digestive phospholipases A₂. As pointed out in Chapter 7, however, insufficient information is available at this time to speculate further on this point.