Similarities Between Endocannabinoid Signaling in Animal Systems and N-Acylethanolamine Metabolism in Plants - Communication in Plants: Neuronal Aspects of Plant Life - page 206

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9 -Tetrahydrocannabinol, the major active
ingredient in marijuana, is a strong ligand for cannabinoid 1 receptors in mammalian
brains. b Anandamide is an N -acylethanolamine ( NAE ) with a 20-carbon acyl chain and
four double bonds. It has a wide range of neuromodulatory and physiological functions
in vertebrates, and is drawn in two different conformations. c NAE types identified and
quantified in plants

Fig. 14.1. Structures of selected cannabinoids. a

CB receptors is somewhat surprising given the lack of obvious structural
similarity with THC, but nearly all physiological effects elicited by mar-
ijuana have been attributed to anandamide and the metabolism of NAEs
is now considered an integral part of the “endocannabinoid signaling sys-
tem”. The activity of anandamide at the CB1 receptor has been attributed
by some (Reggio 2003) to its ability to adopt alternative conformations
(Fig. 14.1b).
Although anandamide is the most studied NAE type in vertebrates,
otherendogenousNAEssuchas N -oleoylethanolamine (NAE18:1) and
N -palmitoylethanolamine (NAE16:0; Fig. 14.1c) elicit a number of biolog-