Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (669 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A viscous, hygroscopic amino alcohol with an ammoniacal odor. It is widely distributed in biological tissue and is a component of lecithin. It is used as a surfactant, fluorimetric reagent, and to remove CO2 and H2S from natural gas and other gases.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: 2-Aminoethanol; 2 Aminoethanol; Colamine; Monoethanolamine.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Ethanolamines
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 1,302 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Ethanolamine” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 175 of them (13.4%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 605 records.
Reviews account for 40 records (3.1%) and meta-analyses for 1. Randomized controlled trials number 12 (0.9%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 605 |
| 2000-2009 | 219 |
| 2010-2019 | 303 |
| 2020 onward | 175 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 40 | 3.1% |
| Meta-analyses | 1 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 12 | 0.9% |
Method: PubMed query "Ethanolamine"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethanolamine and Phosphatidylethanolamine: Partners in Health and Disease | 2017 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 298 | cc by PMID 28785375 · DOI · PMC5529665 |
| Ethanolamine Utilization in Bacteria | 2018 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 122 | cc by PMID 29463652 · DOI · PMC5821096 |
| Ethanolamine Signaling Promotes Salmonella Niche Recognition and Adaptation during Infection | 2015 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 84 | cc by PMID 26565973 · DOI · PMC4643982 |
| Metabolic Labeling of Phosphatidylethanolamine Lipids in Cells Using Clickable Ethanolamine Analogs | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42599685 · DOI · PMC13475593 |
Ethanolamine and Phosphatidylethanolamine: Partners in Health and Disease [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is the second most abundant phospholipid in mammalian cells.
- Closing excerpt
- In this review, we focus on PE's roles in lipid-induced stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Parkinson's disease (PD), ferroptosis, and cancer.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (105 words)
Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is the second most abundant phospholipid in mammalian cells. PE comprises about 15-25% of the total lipid in mammalian cells; it is enriched in the inner leaflet of membranes, and it is especially abundant in the inner mitochondrial membrane. PE has quite remarkable activities: it is a lipid chaperone that assists in the folding of certain membrane proteins, it is required for the activity of several of the respiratory complexes, and it plays a key role in the initiation of autophagy. In this review, we focus on PE's roles in lipid-induced stress in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Parkinson's disease (PD), ferroptosis, and cancer.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28785375 · DOI · PMC5529665
Ethanolamine Utilization in Bacteria [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Ethanolamine (EA) is a valuable source of carbon and/or nitrogen for bacteria capable of its catabolism.
- Closing excerpt
- In addition to providing an overview of EA-related biology, this minireview will give special attention to these recent advances.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (223 words)
Ethanolamine (EA) is a valuable source of carbon and/or nitrogen for bacteria capable of its catabolism. Because it is derived from the membrane phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine, it is particularly prevalent in the gastrointestinal tract, which is membrane rich due to turnover of the intestinal epithelium and the resident microbiota. Intriguingly, many gut pathogens carry the eut (ethanolamine utilization) genes. EA utilization has been studied for about 50 years, with most of the early work occurring in just a couple of species of Enterobacteriaceae Once the metabolic pathways and enzymes were characterized by biochemical approaches, genetic screens were used to map the various activities to the eut genes. With the rise of genomics, the diversity of bacteria containing the eut genes and surprising differences in eut gene content were recognized. Some species contain nearly 20 genes and encode many accessory proteins, while others contain only the core catabolic enzyme. Moreover, the eut genes are regulated by very different mechanisms, depending on the organism and the eut regulator encoded. In the last several years, exciting progress has been made in elucidating the complex regulatory mechanisms that govern eut gene expression. Furthermore, a new appreciation for how EA contributes to infection and colonization in the host is emerging. In addition to providing an overview of EA-related biology, this minireview will give special attention to these recent advances.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 29463652 · DOI · PMC5821096
Ethanolamine Signaling Promotes Salmonella Niche Recognition and Adaptation during Infection [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Chemical and nutrient signaling are fundamental for all cellular processes, including interactions between the mammalian host and the microbiota, which have a significant impact on health and disease.
- Closing excerpt
- Because the ability to sense ethanolamine is a conserved trait among pathogenic and commensal bacteria, our work indicates that ethanolamine signaling may be a key step in the localized adaptation of bacteria within their mammalian hosts.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (182 words)
Chemical and nutrient signaling are fundamental for all cellular processes, including interactions between the mammalian host and the microbiota, which have a significant impact on health and disease. Ethanolamine is an essential component of cell membranes and has profound signaling activity within mammalian cells by modulating inflammatory responses and intestinal physiology. Here, we describe a virulence-regulating pathway in which the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) exploits ethanolamine signaling to recognize and adapt to distinct niches within the host. The bacterial transcription factor EutR promotes ethanolamine metabolism in the intestine, which enables S. Typhimurium to establish infection. Subsequently, EutR directly activates expression of the Salmonella pathogenicity island 2 in the intramacrophage environment, and thus augments intramacrophage survival. Moreover, EutR is critical for robust dissemination during mammalian infection. Our findings reveal that S. Typhimurium co-opts ethanolamine as a signal to coordinate metabolism and then virulence. Because the ability to sense ethanolamine is a conserved trait among pathogenic and commensal bacteria, our work indicates that ethanolamine signaling may be a key step in the localized adaptation of bacteria within their mammalian hosts.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 26565973 · DOI · PMC4643982
Metabolic Labeling of Phosphatidylethanolamine Lipids in Cells Using Clickable Ethanolamine Analogs [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is the second most abundant phospholipid in mammalian cells.
- Closing excerpt
- This approach provides an invaluable step toward metabolic labeling strategies that will aid in the tracking of PE biosynthesis and trafficking pathways in cells.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (159 words)
Phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is the second most abundant phospholipid in mammalian cells. The cone-shaped structure of PE positions this lipid to act as a cornerstone of signaling events, such as those involving protein-protein and lipid-protein interactions, as it has been shown to promote conformational changes in both protein and lipid-based membrane structures. Despite this importance, chemical tools to interrogate the biological activity and trafficking of PE lipids are limited. Herein, we report the development of ethanolamine probes functionalized with clickable tags that are capable of infiltrating native cellular pathways and subsequently producing labeled PE lipids. Derivatization of click-tagged PE products enabled fluorescence microscopy imaging of these lipids in cells. Interrogation of the efficacy of these probes for biological incorporation was conducted using mass spectrometry and thin-layer chromatography analysis to identify various species of tagged PE molecules. This approach provides an invaluable step toward metabolic labeling strategies that will aid in the tracking of PE biosynthesis and trafficking pathways in cells.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42599685 · DOI · PMC13475593
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Ethanolamine utilization in bacterial pathogens: roles and regulation [5]
- Research article N-Acylethanolamines and precursor phospholipids - relation to cell injury [6]
- Research article Pathways and mechanisms of N-acylethanolamine biosynthesis: can anandamide be generated selectively? [7]
- Research article Towards commercial scale postcombustion capture of CO2 with monoethanolamine solvent: key considerations for solvent management and environmental impacts [8]
- Research article Ethanolamine Metabolism in the Mammalian Gastrointestinal Tract: Mechanisms, Patterns, and Importance [9]
- Research article Eut bacterial microcompartments: insights into their function, structure, and bioengineering applications [10]
References
- Patel D, Witt SN. Ethanolamine and Phosphatidylethanolamine: Partners in Health and Disease. . 2017. PMID 28785375 · DOI · PMC5529665
- Kaval KG, Garsin DA. Ethanolamine Utilization in Bacteria. . 2018. PMID 29463652 · DOI · PMC5821096
- Anderson CJ, Clark DE, Adli M, Kendall MM. Ethanolamine Signaling Promotes Salmonella Niche Recognition and Adaptation during Infection. . 2015. PMID 26565973 · DOI · PMC4643982
- Maraski RJ, Lou J, Reynolds TB, Best MD. Metabolic Labeling of Phosphatidylethanolamine Lipids in Cells Using Clickable Ethanolamine Analogs. . 2026. PMID 42599685 · DOI · PMC13475593
- Garsin DA. Ethanolamine utilization in bacterial pathogens: roles and regulation. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2010. PMID 20234377 · DOI · PMC2950637
- Hansen HS, Moesgaard B, Hansen HH, Petersen G. N-Acylethanolamines and precursor phospholipids - relation to cell injury. Chem Phys Lipids. 2000. PMID 11106787 · DOI
- Schmid HH. Pathways and mechanisms of N-acylethanolamine biosynthesis: can anandamide be generated selectively?. Chem Phys Lipids. 2000. PMID 11106783 · DOI
- Reynolds AJ, Verheyen TV, Adeloju SB, Meuleman E, Feron P. Towards commercial scale postcombustion capture of CO2 with monoethanolamine solvent: key considerations for solvent management and environmental impacts. Environ Sci Technol. 2012. PMID 22324566 · DOI
- Zhou J, Xiong X, Wang K, Zou L, Lv D, Yin Y. Ethanolamine Metabolism in the Mammalian Gastrointestinal Tract: Mechanisms, Patterns, and Importance. Curr Mol Med. 2017. PMID 28429671 · DOI
- Held M, Quin MB, Schmidt-Dannert C. Eut bacterial microcompartments: insights into their function, structure, and bioengineering applications. J Mol Microbiol Biotechnol. 2013. PMID 23920494 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.