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ceramide

N-acyl sphingosine; Putative mediator of TNF-alpha, vitamin D3, IFN-gamma, IL-1 & NGF signals. Ceramide in turn regulates PLC-zeta, an unidentified serine/threonine protein phosphatase & an unidentified membrane-associated proline-directed protein kinase. Ceramide* may also activate phospholipase A2 & cyclo- oxygenase-2 [2,3] & has been implicated in apoptosis [2]. The role of ceramide in transducing the signal of NGF would suggest a potentiating rather than mediating role in apoptosis, because NGF does not induce apoptosis. Ceramide inhibits phospholipase-D [2]. * ceramide-1-phosphate activates phospholipase A2 [4]

Interactions

molecular events

Related

cyclooxygenase (prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase, COX) phospholipase A2; phosphatidylcholine 2-acylhydrolase (PLA2) phospholipase-D (PLD)

Specific

globoside (cytolipin)

General

pro apoptotic molecule sphingolipid

Properties

COMPARTMENT: plasma membrane

Database Correlations

PUBCHEM correlations

References

  1. Liscovitch M. Crosstalk among multiple signal-activated phospholipases. Trends Biochem Sci. 1992 Oct;17(10):393-9. Review. PMID: 1455508
  2. Hannun YA, Obeid LM. Ceramide: an intracellular signal for apoptosis. Trends Biochem Sci. 1995 Feb;20(2):73-7. Review. PMID: 7701566
  3. Wu D, Meydani SN. Mechanism of age-associated up-regulation in macrophage PGE2 synthesis. Brain Behav Immun. 2004 Nov;18(6):487-94. Review. PMID: 15331118
  4. Pettus BJ, Kitatani K, Chalfant CE, Taha TA, Kawamori T, Bielawski J, Obeid L, Hannun YA. The Coordination of Prostaglandin E2 production by sphingosine- 1-phosphate and ceramide-1- phosphate. Mol Pharmacol. 2005 May 17; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 15900018