iPLA2β and its role in male fertility, neurological disorders, metabolic disorders, and inflammation.

The Ca2+-independent phospholipases, designated as group VI iPLA2s, also referred to as PNPLAs due to their shared homology with patatin, include the β, γ, δ, ε, ζ, and η forms of the enzyme. The iPLA2s are ubiquitously expressed, share a consensus GXSXG catalytic motif, and exhibit organelle/cell-specific localization. Among the iPLA2s, iPLA2β has received wide attention as it is recognized to be involved in membrane remodeling, cell proliferation, cell death, and signal transduction. Ongoing studies implicate participation of iPLA2β in a variety of disease processes including cancer, cardiovascular abnormalities, glaucoma, and peridonditis. This review will focus on iPLA2β and its links to male fertility, neurological disorders, metabolic disorders, and inflammation.