PLA2 je široko rasprostranjena u životinjskim tkivima. Ona je prisutna kod insekata i u zmijskom venomu.[8] Venom zmija i insekata se ulgavnom sastoji od melitina, koji je PLA2 stimulant. Usled povećanog prisustva i aktivnosti PLA2 nakon uboda zmije ili insekta, dolazi do disproporcionalnog oslobađanja arahidonska kiselina iz fosfolipidnih membrana. Rezultat toga je inflamacija i bol.[9] Takođe postoji i prokariotska fosfolipaza A2.
↑Doery, H.M. and Pearson, J.E. (1961). „Haemolysins in venoms of Australian snakes. Observations on the haemolysins of the venoms of some Australian snakes and the separation of phospholipase A from the venom of Pseudechis porphyriacus”. Biochem. J.78: 820-827. PMID13723433.
↑Fraenkel-Conrat, H. and Fraenkel-Conrat, J. (1950). „Inactivation of crotoxin by group-specific reagents”. Biochim. Biophys. Acta5: 98-104. PMID15433984.
↑Hanahan, D.J., Brockerhoff, H. and Barron, E.J. (1960). „The site of attack of phospholipase (lecithinase) A on lecithin: a re-evaluation. Position of fatty acids on lecithins and triglycerides”. J. Biol. Chem.235: 1917-1923. PMID14399412.
↑Moore, J.H. and Williams, D.L. (1964). „Some observations on the specificity of phospholipase A”. Biochim. Biophys. Acta84: 41-54. PMID14124755.
↑Saito, K. and Hanahan, D.J. (1962). „A study of the purification and properties of the phospholipase A of Crotalus adamanteus venom”. Biochemistry1: 521-532. PMID14496116.
↑van den Bosch, H. (1980). „Intracellular phospholipases A”. Biochim. Biophys. Acta604: 191-246. PMID6252969.
↑Cox, Michael; Nelson, David R.; Lehninger, Albert L (2005). Lehninger principles of biochemistry (4th izd.). San Francisco: W.H. Freeman. ISBN0-7167-4339-6.