Lipids traditionally have been viewed as serving two functions: to form cellular membranes and to serve as energy stores. During the last two decades, a new role for lipids has taken center stage: lipids can act as signalling molecules. This book deals with a variety of lipids that have been shown to be messengers. Leading scientists explore all known lipid classes except steroid hormones. Researchers and educators in biochemistry as well as in molecular and cellular biology will appreciate this volume.

Scientists in lipid biochemistry research have increasingly recognized the role of lipids as signaling molecules, aside from their importance in forming cellular membranes and storing energy. This book provides the latest findings on a wide variety of complex lipids in cells that function either as intracellular or intercellular messengers. International investigators present current data on the most extensively studied examples of both intracellular and intercellular messengers generated from lipids, and describe their basic mechanisms, which also utilize receptors in the G-protein-coupled family. The in-depth discussions address such topics as lipid signaling for protein kinase C activation, phosphatidic acid and lyso-phosphatidic acid, ceramide as a messenger, bioactive properties of Sphingosine and structurally related compounds, platelet-activating factor and PAF-like mimetics, and prostaglandins and related compounds. Lipid Second Messengers is an up-to-date reference on developments in the expanding field of lipid-derived signals and will be of interest to biochemists, physiologists, pharmacologists, geneticists, and biologists.