Van Dorp D A
Acta Biol Med Ger. 1976;35(8-9):1041-9.
Arachidonic acid takes part in a number of complicated enzymic processes in which not only the prostaglandins but also the intermediate products of their biosynthesis have important physiological effects. The prostaglandin-synthesizing system can convert a large number of nonnatural substrates, leading to the formation of substituted prostaglandins, some of which have interesting pharmacological properties. The prostaglandin-synthesizing system is found both in the higher animals and in lower animals such as the corals and mussels. So far there have been no indications that this system occurs in the plant kingdom, even in those plants which are able to produce arachidonic acid. It is attractive to assume that this arachidonic acid-prostaglandin system functions as a regulator of certain membrane functions for which there is no parallel need in the plant.
花生四烯酸参与许多复杂的酶促过程，在这些过程中，不仅前列腺素，而且其生物合成的中间产物都具有重要的生理作用。前列腺素合成系统可以转化大量非天然底物，导致形成取代的前列腺素，其中一些具有有趣的药理特性。在高等动物以及诸如珊瑚和贻贝等低等动物中都发现了前列腺素合成系统。到目前为止，没有迹象表明该系统存在于植物界，即使在那些能够产生花生四烯酸的植物中也是如此。有一种颇具吸引力的假设，即这种花生四烯酸 - 前列腺素系统作为某些膜功能的调节剂发挥作用，而植物中不存在类似的需求。
