Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul;476(7):2753-2775.
doi: 10.1007/s11010-021-04121-5. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

The rise and fall of anandamide: processes that control synthesis, degradation, and storage

Roger Gregory Biringer  1
Affiliations
Review

The rise and fall of anandamide: processes that control synthesis, degradation, and storage

Roger Gregory Biringer. Mol Cell Biochem. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Anandamide is an endocannabinoid derived from arachidonic acid-containing membrane lipids and has numerous biological functions. Its effects are primarily mediated by the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, and the vanilloid TRPV1 receptor. Anandamide is known to be involved in sleeping and eating patterns as well as pleasure enhancement and pain relief. This manuscript provides a review of anandamide synthesis, degradation, and storage and hence the homeostasis of the anandamide signaling system.

Keywords: Anandamide; Endocannabinoid; N-acyltransferase; Phosphatase; Phospholipase.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Devane WA, Hanus L, Breuer A, Pertwee RG, Stevenson LA, Griffin G, Gibson D, Mandelbaum A, Etinger A, Mechoulam R (1992) Isolation and structure of a brain constituent that binds to the cannabinoid receptor. Science 258:1946–1949. https://doi.org/10.1126/science - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maccarrone M (2017) Metabolism of the endocannabinoid anandamide: open questions after 25 years. Front Mol Neurosci 10:166. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2017.00166 - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Marsicano G, Chaouloff F (2011) Moving bliss: a new anandamide transporter. Nat Neurosci 15:5–6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3011 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mechoulam R, Parker LA (2013) The endocannabinoid system and the brain. Annu Rev Psychol 64:21–47. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143739 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Ross RA (2003) Anandamide and vanilloid TRPV1 receptors. Br J Pharmacol 140:790–801. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjp.0705467 - DOI - PubMed - PMC

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources