PAF and PAF acetylhydrolase in the nervous system

Abstract

PAF acetylhydrolase is a key enzyme of PAF inactivation. Intracellular PAF acetylhydrolase isoform Ib is a heterotrimeric enzyme composed of α-, β- and γ-subunits. The β- and γ-subunits act as a catalytic unit and their amino acid sequences are homologous. The α-subunit is not essential for catalytic activity but is a product of the causative gene for Miller-Dicker lissencephaly, suggesting this subunit plays an important role in brain development.