Abstract

ESTIVILL-TORRUS, Guillermo et al. Role of lysophosphatidic acid as lipid mediator in behavior. Escritos de Psicología [online]. 2011, vol.4, n.3, pp.1-14. ISSN 1989-3809.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an endogenous phospholipid which is involved in many different cellular processes through specific G-protein coupled receptors (LPA_1-6). The finding of a lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling pathway in the developing and adult brain led to the characterization of the functional roles of LPA in normal and diseased brain. Previous studies using pharmacological or genetic approaches such as receptor null mice have been demonstrated as indispensable to determine the requirement of, at least, LPA₁ receptor for normal brain function and its influence in many different processes including neural cell proliferation and differentiation, cell survival, synapsis, neural transmission, or neurochemical balance in a variety of cerebral areas although, remarkably, the hippocampus. To date numerous contributions have showed behavioral alterations affecting cognition and emotional behavior in correlation with structural and neurochemical observations. Here we review the functions of LPA in behavior, principally particularized to those mediated by LPA₁ receptor, and also discuss their relevance to psychiatric disorders.

Keywords : Lysophosphatidic Acid; Behavior; Learning and Memory; Schizophrenia.

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