Phospholipase A2 -PLA2) catalyzes the hydrolysis of fatty acids at the sn-2 position of glycerophospholipids. PLA2 -Type V) is a secretory PLA2 -sPLA2) of approximately 14 kDa and is one of the isoforms in the growing list of the PLA2 enzyme family. This enzyme, rather than the sPLA2 -Type II), is responsible for arachidonic acid mobilization leading to prostaglandin production in macrophages and mast cells. Consistent with this role, sPLA2 -Type V) is associated with the golgi apparatus, nuclear envelope, and plasma membrane in murine bone marrow-derived mast cells. sPLA2 -Type V) has been cloned from a variety of species including human, mouse, and rat. The enzyme is expressed in heart, lung, placenta, and spleen, as well as P388D1 macrophages and mast cells.