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The effect of ethanol on the process of signal transduction was studied in the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. By dissolving in the cell membrane ethanol changes its chemi­cal and physical structure. In the presence of membrane enzyme phospholipase D, a specif­ic product phosphatidylethanol is formed, at the expense of normal formation of phosphatidic acid. Higher ethanol concentrations (25mmol/l, 50mmol/l, 100mmol/l, 150mmol/l) increasingly inhibit phosphatidic acid formation and stimulate phosphatidylethanol synthesis. Phosphatidy­lethanol is formed exclusively at the expense of phosphatidic acid and no other mechanism of phosphatidic acid synthesis is present. The for­mation of phosphatidic acid is completely inhib­ited by adding 150mmol/l ethanol.