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Jiang C, Tan M, Lai L, Wang Y, Chen Z, Xie Q, Li Y. Inhibiting glycosphingolipids alleviates cardiac hypertrophy by reducing reactive oxygen species and restoring autophagic homeostasis. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1409625. [PMID: 39411072 PMCID: PMC11474036 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1409625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cardiac hypertrophy is a compensatory stress response produced by a variety of factors, and pathologic hypertrophy can lead to irreversible, severe cardiac disease. Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are vital constituents of cells, and changes in their content and composition are important factors causing mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy; however, the relationship between GSLs expression and cardiac hypertrophy and specific mechanisms associated with it are not clear. Methods Here, using male C57BL/6 mice, we performed aortic arch reduction surgery to establish an animal model of pressure overload cardiac hypertrophy. In addition, phenylephrine was used in vitro to induce H9c2 cells and neonatal rat left ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) to establish a cellular hypertrophy model. Results Mass spectrometry revealed that the composition of GSLs was altered in pressure overload-induced hypertrophied mouse hearts and in stimulated hypertrophied cardiomyocyte cell lines. Specifically, in both cases, the proportion of endogenous lactosylceramide (LacCer) was significantly higher than in controls. Inhibition of GSL synthesis with Genz-123346 in NRVMs reduced cell hypertrophy, as well as fibrosis and apoptosis. By Western blotting, we detected decreased intracellular expression of Sirt3 and elevated phosphorylation of JNK after phenylephrine stimulation, but this was reversed in cells pretreated with Genz-123346. Additionally, increased protein expression of FoxO3a and Parkin, along with a decreased LC3-II/I protein ratio in phenylephrine-stimulated cells (compared with unstimulated cells), indicated that the mitochondrial autophagy process was disrupted; again, pretreatment with Genz-123346 reversed that. Discussion Our results revealed that changes in GSLs in cardiomyocytes, especially an increase of LacCer, may be a factor causing cellular hypertrophy, which can be alleviated by inhibition of GSLs synthesis. A possible mechanism is that GSLs inhibition increases the expression of Sirt3 protein, scavenges intracellular reactive oxygen species, and restores mitochondrial autophagy homeostasis, thereby lessening cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. In all, these results provide a new perspective for developing drugs for cardiac hypertrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunxin Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Menglei Tan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lunmeng Lai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yanping Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Zijun Chen
- College of traditional Chinese medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yunsen Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Dingjan T, Futerman AH. Fine-tuned protein-lipid interactions in biological membranes: exploration and implications of the ORMDL-ceramide negative feedback loop in the endoplasmic reticulum. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1457209. [PMID: 39170919 PMCID: PMC11335536 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1457209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological membranes consist of a lipid bilayer in which integral membrane proteins are embedded. Based on the compositional complexity of the lipid species found in membranes, and on their specific and selective interactions with membrane proteins, we recently suggested that membrane bilayers can be best described as "finely-tuned molecular machines." We now discuss one such set of lipid-protein interactions by describing a negative feedback mechanism operating in the de novo sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway, which occurs in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, and describe the atomic interactions between the first enzyme in the pathway, namely serine palmitoyl transferase, and the product of the fourth enzyme in the pathway, ceramide. We explore how hydrogen-bonding and hydrophobic interactions formed between Asn13 and Phe63 in the serine palmitoyl transferase complex and ceramide can influence the ceramide content of the endoplasmic reticulum. This example of finely-tuned biochemical interactions raises intriguing mechanistic questions about how sphingolipids and their biosynthetic enzymes could have evolved, particularly in light of their metabolic co-dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamir Dingjan
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Biran A, Dingjan T, Futerman AH. How has the evolution of our understanding of the compartmentalization of sphingolipid biosynthesis over the past 30 years altered our view of the evolution of the pathway? CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2024:S1063-5823(24)00009-7. [PMID: 39078394 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2024.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are unique among cellular lipids inasmuch as their biosynthesis is compartmentalized between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus. This compartmentalization was first recognized about thirty years ago, and the current review not only updates studies on the compartmentalization of sphingolipid biosynthesis, but also discusses the ramifications of this feature for our understanding of how the pathway could have evolved. Thus, we augment some of our recent studies by inclusion of two further molecular pathways that need to be considered when analyzing the evolutionary requirements for generation of sphingolipids, namely contact sites between the ER and the Golgi apparatus, and the mechanism(s) of vesicular transport between these two organelles. Along with evolution of the individual enzymes of the pathway, their subcellular localization, and the supply of essential metabolites via the anteome, it becomes apparent that current models to describe evolution of the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway may need substantial refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Biran
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tamir Dingjan
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
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Mucinski JM, McCaffrey JM, Rector RS, Kasumov T, Parks EJ. Relationship between hepatic and mitochondrial ceramides: a novel in vivo method to track ceramide synthesis. J Lipid Res 2023; 64:100366. [PMID: 37028768 PMCID: PMC10193228 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2023.100366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ceramides (CERs) are key intermediate sphingolipids implicated in contributing to mitochondrial dysfunction and the development of multiple metabolic conditions. Despite the growing evidence of CER role in disease risk, kinetic methods to measure CER turnover are lacking, particularly using in vivo models. The utility of orally administered 13C3, 15N l-serine, dissolved in drinking water, was tested to quantify CER 18:1/16:0 synthesis in 10-week-old male and female C57Bl/6 mice. To generate isotopic labeling curves, animals consumed either a control diet or high-fat diet (HFD; n = 24/diet) for 2 weeks and varied in the duration of the consumption of serine-labeled water (0, 1, 2, 4, 7, or 12 days; n = 4 animals/day/diet). Unlabeled and labeled hepatic and mitochondrial CERs were quantified using liquid chromatography tandem MS. Total hepatic CER content did not differ between the two diet groups, whereas total mitochondrial CERs increased with HFD feeding (60%, P < 0.001). Within hepatic and mitochondrial pools, HFD induced greater saturated CER concentrations (P < 0.05) and significantly elevated absolute turnover of 16:0 mitochondrial CER (mitochondria: 59%, P < 0.001 vs. liver: 15%, P = 0.256). The data suggest cellular redistribution of CERs because of the HFD. These data demonstrate that a 2-week HFD alters the turnover and content of mitochondrial CERs. Given the growing data on CERs contributing to hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction and the progression of multiple metabolic diseases, this method may now be used to investigate how CER turnover is altered in these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine M Mucinski
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Jonas M McCaffrey
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - R Scott Rector
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA; Research Service, Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Medical Center, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Takhar Kasumov
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio, USA
| | - Elizabeth J Parks
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA.
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Alarcón-Vila C, Insausti-Urkia N, Torres S, Segalés-Rovira P, Conde de la Rosa L, Nuñez S, Fucho R, Fernández-Checa JC, García-Ruiz C. Dietary and genetic disruption of hepatic methionine metabolism induce acid sphingomyelinase to promote steatohepatitis. Redox Biol 2023; 59:102596. [PMID: 36610223 PMCID: PMC9827379 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcoholic (ASH) and nonalcoholic. (NASH).steatohepatitis are advanced.stages.of.fatty.liver.disease.Methionine adenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A) plays a key role in hepatic methionine metabolism and germline Mat1a deletion in mice promotes NASH. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) triggers hepatocellular apoptosis and liver fibrosis and has been shown to downregulate MAT1A expression in the context of fulminant liver failure. Given the role of ASMase in steatohepatitis development, we investigated the status of ASMase in Mat1a-/- mice and the regulation of ASMase by SAM/SAH. Consistent with its role in NASH, Mat1a-/- mice fed a choline-deficient (CD) diet exhibited macrosteatosis, inflammation, fibrosis and liver injury as well as reduced total and mitochondrial GSH levels. Our data uncovered an increased basal expression and activity of ASMase but not neutral SMase in Mat1a-/- mice, which further increased upon CD feeding. Interestingly, adenovirus-mediated shRNA expression targeting ASMase reduced ASMase activity and protected Mat1a-/- mice against CD diet-induced NASH. Similar results were observed in CD fed Mat1a-/- mice by pharmacological inhibition of ASMase with amitriptyline. Moreover, Mat1a/ASMase double knockout mice were resistant to CD-induced NASH. ASMase knockdown protected wild type mice against NASH induced by feeding a diet deficient in methionine and choline. Furthermore, Mat1a-/- mice developed acute-on-chronic ASH and this outcome was ameliorated by amitriptyline treatment. In vitro data in primary mouse hepatocytes revealed that decreased SAM/SAH ratio increased ASMase mRNA level and activity. MAT1A and ASMase mRNA levels exhibited an inverse correlation in liver samples from patients with ASH and NASH. Thus, disruption of methionine metabolism sensitizes to steatohepatitis by ASMase activation via decreased SAM/SAH. These findings imply that MAT1A deletion and ASMase activation engage in a self-sustained loop of relevance for steatohepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Alarcón-Vila
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Naroa Insausti-Urkia
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sandra Torres
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Segalés-Rovira
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Conde de la Rosa
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Nuñez
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Fucho
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose C Fernández-Checa
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain; University of Southern California Research Center for Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Carmen García-Ruiz
- Cell Death and Proliferation, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas de Barcelona, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain; Liver Unit, Hospital Clínic I Provincial, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERehd, University of Barcelona, Spain; University of Southern California Research Center for Liver Diseases, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Arends M, Weber M, Papan C, Damm M, Surma MA, Spiegel C, Djannatian M, Li S, Connell L, Johannes L, Schifferer M, Klose C, Simons M. Ganglioside lipidomics of CNS myelination using direct infusion shotgun mass spectrometry. iScience 2022; 25:105323. [PMID: 36310581 PMCID: PMC9615322 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gangliosides are present and concentrated in axons and implicated in axon-myelin interactions, but how ganglioside composition changes during myelin formation is not known. Here, we present a direct infusion (shotgun) lipidomics method to analyze gangliosides in small amounts of tissue reproducibly and with high sensitivity. We resolve the mouse ganglioside lipidome during development and adulthood and determine the ganglioside content of mice lacking the St3gal5 and B4galnt1 genes that synthesize most ganglioside species. Our results reveal substantial changes in the ganglioside lipidome during the formation of myelinated nerve fibers. In sum, we provide insights into the CNS ganglioside lipidome with a quantitative and sensitive mass spectrometry method. Since this method is compatible with global lipidomic profiling, it will provide insights into ganglioside function in physiology and pathology. A sensitive direct infusion mass spectrometry method for ganglioside lipidomics Quantification of gangliosides in CNS myelin development Generation of myelin in the absence of gangliosides
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Arends
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Minou Djannatian
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Ludger Johannes
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, U1143 INSERM, UMR3666 CNRS, 75248 Paris, France
| | - Martina Schifferer
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Mikael Simons
- Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, 80802 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Corresponding author
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Kagan T, Stoyanova G, Lockshin RA, Zakeri Z. Ceramide from sphingomyelin hydrolysis induces neuronal differentiation, whereas de novo ceramide synthesis and sphingomyelin hydrolysis initiate apoptosis after NGF withdrawal in PC12 Cells. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:15. [PMID: 35101031 PMCID: PMC8802477 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-021-00767-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ceramide, important for both neuronal differentiation and dedifferentiation, resides in several membranes, is synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial, and nuclear membranes, and can be further processed into glycosphingolipids or sphingomyelin. Ceramide may also be generated by hydrolysis of sphingomyelin by neutral or acidic sphingomyelinases in lysosomes and other membranes. Here we asked whether the differing functions of ceramide derived from different origins. Methods We added NGF to PC12 cells and to TrkA cells. These latter overexpress NGF receptors and are partially activated to differentiate, whereas NGF is required for PC12 cells to differentiate. We differentiated synthesis from hydrolysis by the use of appropriate inhibitors. Ceramide and sphingomyelin were measured by radiolabeling. Results When NGF is added, the kinetics and amounts of ceramide and sphingomyelin indicate that the ceramide comes primarily from hydrolysis but, when hydrolysis is inhibited, can also come from neosynthesis. When NGF is removed, the ceramide comes from both neosynthesis and hydrolysis. Conclusion We conclude that the function of ceramide depends heavily on its intracellular location, and that further understanding of its function will depend on resolving its location during changes of cell status. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Video Abstract
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-021-00767-2. Ceramide and sphingomyelin reportedly are important both for differentiation of nerve cells and for their death. We studied PC12 cells, which can differentiate into neuron-like cells in the presence of nerve growth factor and cells that overexpress receptors for nerve growth factor. By combining various inhibitors, we conclude that in the presence of nerve growth factor ceramide comes from hydrolysis of sphingomyelin, but when nerve growth factor is removed and the cells atrophy and die, sphingomyelin comes from both neosynthesis and hydrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terri Kagan
- Department of Biology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA
| | - Gloria Stoyanova
- Department of Biology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA
| | - Richard A Lockshin
- Department of Biology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA.,St. Johns University, Jamaica, NY, USA
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Qi T, Li L, Weidong T. The Role of Sphingolipid Metabolism in Bone Remodeling. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:752540. [PMID: 34912800 PMCID: PMC8666436 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.752540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies of bioactive lipids have made many exciting discoveries in recent years. Sphingolipids and their metabolites perform a wide variety of cellular functions beyond energy metabolism. Emerging evidence based on genetically manipulated mouse models and molecular biology allows us to obtain new insights into the role sphingolipid played on skeletal remodeling. This review summarizes studies or understandings of the crosstalk between sphingomyelin, ceramide, and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) of sphingolipids family and the cells, especially osteoblasts and osteoclasts of the bone through which bone is remodeled during life constantly. This review also shows agonists and antagonists of S1P as possible therapeutic options and opportunities on bone diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tang Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Engineering Research Center of Oral Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, West China School of Public Health, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Liao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Engineering Research Center of Oral Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, West China School of Public Health, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tian Weidong
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Engineering Research Center of Oral Translational Medicine, Ministry of Education, National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, West China School of Public Health, West China Fourth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Canals D, Clarke CJ. Compartmentalization of Sphingolipid metabolism: Implications for signaling and therapy. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 232:108005. [PMID: 34582834 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SLs) are a family of bioactive lipids implicated in a variety of cellular processes, and whose levels are controlled by an interlinked network of enzymes. While the spatial distribution of SL metabolism throughout the cell has been understood for some time, the implications of this for SL signaling and biological outcomes have only recently begun to be fully explored. In this review, we outline the compartmentalization of SL metabolism and describe advances in tools for investigating and probing compartment-specific SL functions. We also briefly discuss the implications of SL compartmentalization for cell signaling and therapeutic approaches to targeting the SL network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Canals
- Department of Medicine and the Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - Christopher J Clarke
- Department of Medicine and the Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
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Dingjan T, Futerman AH. The role of the 'sphingoid motif' in shaping the molecular interactions of sphingolipids in biomembranes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2021; 1863:183701. [PMID: 34302797 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids can be differentiated from other membrane lipids by the distinctive chemistry of the sphingoid long chain base (LCB), which is generated by the condensation of an amino acid (normally but not always serine) and a fatty acyl CoA (normally palmitoyl CoA) by the pyridoxal phosphate-dependent enzyme, serine palmitoyl transferase (SPT). The first five carbon atoms of the sphingoid LCB, herein defined as the 'sphingoid motif', are largely responsible for the unique chemical and biophysical properties of sphingolipids since they can undergo a relatively large number (compared to other lipid species) of molecular interactions with other membrane lipids, via hydrogen-bonding, charge-pairing, hydrophobic and van der Waals interactions. These interactions are responsible, for instance, for the association of sphingolipids with cholesterol in the membrane lipid bilayer. Here, we discuss some of the unique properties of this sphingoid motif, and in addition to outlining how this structural motif drives intra-bilayer interactions, discuss the atomic details of the interactions with two critical players in the biosynthetic pathway, namely SPT, and the ceramide transport protein, CERT. In the former, the selectivity of sphingolipid synthesis relies on a hydrogen bond interaction between Lys379 of SPTLC2 and the l-serine sidechain hydroxyl moiety. In the latter, the entire sphingoid motif is stereoselectively recognized by a hydrogen-bonding network involving all three sphingoid motif heteroatoms. The remarkable selectivity of these interactions, and the subtle means by which these interactions are modified and regulated in eukaryotic cells raises a number of challenging questions about the generation of these proteins, and of their interactions with the sphingoid motif in evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamir Dingjan
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
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Kim JL, Mestre B, Shin SH, Futerman AH. Ceramide synthases: Reflections on the impact of Dr. Lina M. Obeid. Cell Signal 2021; 82:109958. [PMID: 33607256 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2021.109958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are a family of lipids that are critical to cell function and survival. Much of the recent work done on sphingolipids has been performed by a closely-knit family of sphingolipid researchers, which including our colleague, Dr. Lina Obeid, who recently passed away. We now briefly review where the sphingolipid field stands today, focusing in particular on areas of sphingolipid research to which Dr. Obeid made valued contributions. These include the 'many-worlds' view of ceramides and the role of a key enzyme in the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway, namely the ceramide synthases (CerS). The CerS contain a number of functional domains and also interact with a number of other proteins in lipid metabolic pathways, fulfilling Dr. Obeid's prophecy that ceramides, and the enzymes that generate ceramides, form the critical hub of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyoon L Kim
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Beatriz Mestre
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Sun-Hye Shin
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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Drexler Y, Molina J, Mitrofanova A, Fornoni A, Merscher S. Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Metabolism and Signaling in Kidney Diseases. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:9-31. [PMID: 33376112 PMCID: PMC7894665 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2020050697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past few decades, sphingolipids and sphingolipid metabolites have gained attention because of their essential role in the pathogenesis and progression of kidney diseases. Studies in models of experimental and clinical nephropathies have described accumulation of sphingolipids and sphingolipid metabolites, and it has become clear that the intracellular sphingolipid composition of renal cells is an important determinant of renal function. Proper function of the glomerular filtration barrier depends heavily on the integrity of lipid rafts, which include sphingolipids as key components. In addition to contributing to the structural integrity of membranes, sphingolipid metabolites, such as sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), play important roles as second messengers regulating biologic processes, such as cell growth, differentiation, migration, and apoptosis. This review will focus on the role of S1P in renal cells and how aberrant extracellular and intracellular S1P signaling contributes to the pathogenesis and progression of kidney diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelena Drexler
- Katz Family Division of Nephrology and Hypertension/Peggy and Harold Katz Family Drug Discovery Center, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
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13
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Sphingomyelinases and Liver Diseases. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10111497. [PMID: 33143193 PMCID: PMC7692672 DOI: 10.3390/biom10111497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SLs) are critical components of membrane bilayers that play a crucial role in their physico-chemical properties. Ceramide is the prototype and most studied SL due to its role as a second messenger in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways and cellular processes. Ceramide is a heterogeneous lipid entity determined by the length of the fatty acyl chain linked to its carbon backbone sphingosine, which can be generated either by de novo synthesis from serine and palmitoyl-CoA in the endoplasmic reticulum or via sphingomyelin (SM) hydrolysis by sphingomyelinases (SMases). Unlike de novo synthesis, SMase-induced SM hydrolysis represents a rapid and transient mechanism of ceramide generation in specific intracellular sites that accounts for the diverse biological effects of ceramide. Several SMases have been described at the molecular level, which exhibit different pH requirements for activity: neutral, acid or alkaline. Among the SMases, the neutral (NSMase) and acid (ASMase) are the best characterized for their contribution to signaling pathways and role in diverse pathologies, including liver diseases. As part of a Special Issue (Phospholipases: From Structure to Biological Function), the present invited review summarizes the physiological functions of NSMase and ASMase and their role in chronic and metabolic liver diseases, of which the most relevant is nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and its progression to hepatocellular carcinoma, due to the association with the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemic. A better understanding of the regulation and role of SMases in liver pathology may offer the opportunity for novel treatments of liver diseases.
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14
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Wu JMF, Schulze PC. Cardiovascular prognosis: a new role for ceramides and other cardiometabolites. ESC Heart Fail 2020; 7:3285-3287. [PMID: 33040495 PMCID: PMC7754998 DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine M F Wu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - P Christian Schulze
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
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15
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Megyeri M, Prasad R, Volpert G, Sliwa-Gonzalez A, Haribowo AG, Aguilera-Romero A, Riezman H, Barral Y, Futerman AH, Schuldiner M. Yeast ceramide synthases, Lag1 and Lac1, have distinct substrate specificity. J Cell Sci 2019; 132:jcs.228411. [PMID: 31164445 PMCID: PMC6602303 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.228411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
LAG1 was the first longevity assurance gene discovered in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Lag1 protein is a ceramide synthase and its homolog, Lac1, has a similar enzymatic function but no role in aging. Lag1 and Lac1 lie in an enzymatic branch point of the sphingolipid pathway that is interconnected by the activity of the C4 hydroxylase, Sur2. By uncoupling the enzymatic branch point and using lipidomic mass spectrometry, metabolic labeling and in vitro assays we show that Lag1 preferentially synthesizes phyto-sphingolipids. Using photo-bleaching experiments we show that Lag1 is uniquely required for the establishment of a lateral diffusion barrier in the nuclear envelope, which depends on phytoceramide. Given the role of this diffusion barrier in the retention of aging factors in the mother cell, we suggest that the different specificities of the two ceramide synthases, and the specific effect of Lag1 on asymmetrical inheritance, may explain why Δlag1 cells have an increased lifespan while Δlac1 cells do not. Highlighted Article: Distinct substrate specificities of Lag1 and Lac1, the two yeast ceramide synthases, are revealed, shedding light on their physiological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márton Megyeri
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Rupali Prasad
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Giora Volpert
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | | | - A Galih Haribowo
- Department of Biochemistry and NCCR Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | | | - Howard Riezman
- Department of Biochemistry and NCCR Chemical Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland
| | - Yves Barral
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Maya Schuldiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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16
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Zelnik ID, Ventura AE, Kim JL, Silva LC, Futerman AH. The role of ceramide in regulating endoplasmic reticulum function. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2019; 1865:158489. [PMID: 31233888 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2019.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 06/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SLs) are an important class of membrane lipids containing a long chain sphingoid base backbone. SL synthesis is compartmentalized between two major cell organelles, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus. The initial steps of sphingolipid synthesis take place in the ER, where the simplest SL, ceramide, is synthesized. Although ceramide is a critical membrane component, an imbalance of ceramide levels can have significant deleterious effects on cell properties leading to events such as apoptosis. For this reason and others, ER ceramide levels must be tightly regulated. Here, we describe the biological and biophysical properties of ceramide and discuss how this might impact the ER membrane. This article is part of a special issue entitled: ER Platforms for Membrane Lipid Dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris D Zelnik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Ana E Ventura
- iMed.UL, Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; Centro de Química-Física Molecular and IN-Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jiyoon L Kim
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Liana C Silva
- iMed.UL, Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
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17
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Inherited monogenic defects of ceramide metabolism: Molecular bases and diagnoses. Clin Chim Acta 2019; 495:457-466. [PMID: 31128082 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ceramides are membrane lipids implicated in the regulation of numerous biological functions. Recent evidence suggests that specific subsets of molecular species of ceramide may play distinct physiological roles. The importance of this family of molecules in vertebrates is witnessed by the deleterious consequences of genetic alterations in ceramide metabolism. This brief review summarizes the clinical presentation of human disorders due to the deficiency of enzymes involved either in the biosynthesis or the degradation of ceramides. Information on the possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms is also provided, based on knowledge gathered from animal models of these inherited rare conditions. When appropriate, tools for chemical and molecular diagnosis of these disorders and therapeutic options are also presented.
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18
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Zelnik ID, Rozman B, Rosenfeld-Gur E, Ben-Dor S, Futerman AH. A Stroll Down the CerS Lane. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1159:49-63. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-21162-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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19
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Intra- and intercellular trafficking in sphingolipid metabolism in myelination. Adv Biol Regul 2018; 71:97-103. [PMID: 30497846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The myelin sheath, produced by oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, provides essential electrical insulation to neurons, but also is critical for viability of neurons. Both the protein and lipid composition of this fascinating membrane is unique. Here the focus is on the sphingolipids that are highly abundant in myelin and, in particular, how they are produced. This review discusses how sphingolipid metabolism is regulated. In particular the subcellular localization of lipid metabolic enzymes is discussed and how inter-organelle transport can affect the metabolic routes that sphingolipid precursors take. Understanding the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism in formation of the myelin membrane will have a significant impact on strategies to treat demyelinating diseases.
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20
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Activation of neutral sphingomyelinase 2 by starvation induces cell-protective autophagy via an increase in Golgi-localized ceramide. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:670. [PMID: 29867196 PMCID: PMC5986760 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0709-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is essential for optimal cell function and survival, and the entire process accompanies membrane dynamics. Ceramides are produced by different enzymes at different cellular membrane sites and mediate differential signaling. However, it remains unclear which ceramide-producing pathways/enzymes participate in autophagy regulation under physiological conditions such as nutrient starvation, and what the underlying mechanisms are. In this study, we demonstrate that among ceramide-producing enzymes, neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) plays a key role in autophagy during nutrient starvation. nSMase2 was rapidly and stably activated upon starvation, and the enzymatic reaction in the Golgi apparatus facilitated autophagy through the activation of p38 MAPK and inhibition of mTOR. Moreover, nSMase2 played a protective role against cellular damage depending on autophagy. These findings suggest that nSMase2 is a novel regulator of autophagy and provide evidence that Golgi-localized ceramides participate in cytoprotective autophagy against starvation.
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21
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Tidhar R, Zelnik ID, Volpert G, Ben-Dor S, Kelly S, Merrill AH, Futerman AH. Eleven residues determine the acyl chain specificity of ceramide synthases. J Biol Chem 2018; 293:9912-9921. [PMID: 29632068 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra118.001936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipids display large structural complexity, with ∼40,000 different lipids identified to date, ∼4000 of which are sphingolipids. A critical factor determining the biological activities of the sphingolipid, ceramide, and of more complex sphingolipids is their N-acyl chain length, which in mammals is determined by a family of six ceramide synthases (CerS). Little information is available about the CerS regions that determine specificity toward different acyl-CoA substrates. We previously demonstrated that substrate specificity resides in a region of ∼150 residues in the Tram-Lag-CLN8 domain. Using site-directed mutagenesis and biochemical analyses, we now narrow specificity down to an 11-residue sequence in a loop located between the last two putative transmembrane domains (TMDs) of the CerS. The specificity of a chimeric protein, CerS5(299-309→CerS2), based on the backbone of CerS5 (which generates C16-ceramide), but containing 11 residues from CerS2 (which generates C22-C24-ceramides), was altered such that it generated C22-C24 and other ceramides. Moreover, a chimeric protein, CerS4(291-301→CerS2), based on CerS4 (which normally generates C18-C22 ceramides) displayed significant activity toward C24:1-CoA. Additional data supported the notion that substitutions of these 11 residues alter the specificities of the CerS toward their cognate acyl-CoAs. Our findings may suggest that this short loop may restrict adjacent TMDs, leading to a more open conformation in the membrane, and that the CerS acting on shorter acyl-CoAs may have a longer, more flexible loop, permitting TMD flexibility. In summary, we have identified an 11-residue region that determines the acyl-CoA specificity of CerS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Tidhar
- From the Department of Biomolecular Sciences and
| | | | | | - Shifra Ben-Dor
- the Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel and
| | - Samuel Kelly
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
| | - Alfred H Merrill
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
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22
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Olsen ASB, Færgeman NJ. Sphingolipids: membrane microdomains in brain development, function and neurological diseases. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170069. [PMID: 28566300 PMCID: PMC5451547 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids are highly enriched in the nervous system where they are pivotal constituents of the plasma membranes and are important for proper brain development and functions. Sphingolipids are not merely structural elements, but are also recognized as regulators of cellular events by their ability to form microdomains in the plasma membrane. The significance of such compartmentalization spans broadly from being involved in differentiation of neurons and synaptic transmission to neuronal–glial interactions and myelin stability. Thus, perturbations of the sphingolipid metabolism can lead to rearrangements in the plasma membrane, which has been linked to the development of various neurological diseases. Studying microdomains and their functions has for a long time been synonymous with studying the role of cholesterol. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that microdomains are very heterogeneous, which among others can be ascribed to the vast number of sphingolipids. In this review, we discuss the importance of microdomains with emphasis on sphingolipids in brain development and function as well as how disruption of the sphingolipid metabolism (and hence microdomains) contributes to the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne S B Olsen
- Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Nils J Færgeman
- Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
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23
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Schwartz NU, Linzer RW, Truman JP, Gurevich M, Hannun YA, Senkal CE, Obeid LM. Decreased ceramide underlies mitochondrial dysfunction in Charcot-Marie-Tooth 2F. FASEB J 2018; 32:1716-1728. [PMID: 29133339 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701067r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most commonly inherited neurologic disorder, but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. One variant of CMT, 2F, is characterized by mutations in heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27). As bioactive sphingolipids have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, we sought to determine if their dysregulation is involved in CMT. Here, we show that Hsp27 knockout mice demonstrated decreases in ceramide in peripheral nerve tissue and that the disease-associated Hsp27 S135F mutant demonstrated decreases in mitochondrial ceramide. Given that Hsp27 is a chaperone protein, we examined its role in regulating ceramide synthases (CerSs), an enzyme family responsible for catalyzing generation of the sphingolipid ceramide. We determined that CerSs colocalized with Hsp27, and upon the presence of S135F mutants, CerS1 lost its colocalization with mitochondria suggesting that decreased mitochondrial ceramides result from reduced mitochondrial CerS localization rather than decreased CerS activity. Mitochondria in mutant cells appeared larger with increased interconnectivity. Furthermore, mutant cell lines demonstrated decreased mitochondrial respiratory function and increased autophagic flux. Mitochondrial structural and functional changes were recapitulated by blocking ceramide generation pharmacologically. These results suggest that mutant Hsp27 decreases mitochondrial ceramide levels, producing structural and functional changes in mitochondria leading to neuronal degeneration.-Schwartz, N. U., Linzer, R. W., Truman, J.-P., Gurevich, M., Hannun, Y. A., Senkal, C. E., Obeid, L. M. Decreased ceramide underlies mitochondrial dysfunction in Charcot-Marie-Tooth 2F.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas U Schwartz
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Ryan W Linzer
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Jean-Philip Truman
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Mikhail Gurevich
- Department of Pharmacology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Department of Orthopaedics, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA; and
| | - Yusuf A Hannun
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Can E Senkal
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Lina M Obeid
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, USA.,Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, New York, USA
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24
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Yang CL, Chiou SH, Tai WC, Joseph NA, Chow KC. Trivalent chromium induces autophagy by activating sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase 2 and increasing cellular ceramide levels in renal HK2 cells. Mol Carcinog 2017; 56:2424-2433. [DOI: 10.1002/mc.22689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 05/23/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Lin Yang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences; National Chung Hsing University; Taichung Taiwan
| | - Shiow-Her Chiou
- Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health; National Chung Hsing University; Taichung Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chun Tai
- College of Life Science; National Chung Hsing University; Taichung Taiwan
| | - Nithila A. Joseph
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences; National Chung Hsing University; Taichung Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Chih Chow
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences; National Chung Hsing University; Taichung Taiwan
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25
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Boulinguiez A, Staels B, Duez H, Lancel S. Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum: Targets for a better insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle? Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2017; 1862:901-916. [PMID: 28529179 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders represent a major health burden, with economic and social consequences. Although adapted lifestyle and bariatric surgery are effective in reducing body weight, obesity prevalence is still rising. Obese individuals often become insulin-resistant. Obesity impacts on insulin responsive organs, such as the liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and cancer. In this review, we discuss the effects of obesity and insulin resistance on skeletal muscle, an important organ for the control of postprandial glucose. The roles of mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum in insulin signaling are highlighted and potential innovative research and treatment perspectives are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Boulinguiez
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1011 - EGID, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Bart Staels
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1011 - EGID, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Hélène Duez
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1011 - EGID, F-59000, Lille, France.
| | - Steve Lancel
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1011 - EGID, F-59000, Lille, France.
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26
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Ferreira NS, Engelsby H, Neess D, Kelly SL, Volpert G, Merrill AH, Futerman AH, Færgeman NJ. Regulation of very-long acyl chain ceramide synthesis by acyl-CoA-binding protein. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:7588-7597. [PMID: 28320857 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.785345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ceramide and more complex sphingolipids constitute a diverse group of lipids that serve important roles as structural entities of biological membranes and as regulators of cellular growth, differentiation, and development. Thus, ceramides are vital players in numerous diseases including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as neurological disorders. Here we show that acyl-coenzyme A-binding protein (ACBP) potently facilitates very-long acyl chain ceramide synthesis. ACBP increases the activity of ceramide synthase 2 (CerS2) by more than 2-fold and CerS3 activity by 7-fold. ACBP binds very-long-chain acyl-CoA esters, which is required for its ability to stimulate CerS activity. We also show that high-speed liver cytosol from wild-type mice activates CerS3 activity, whereas cytosol from ACBP knock-out mice does not. Consistently, CerS2 and CerS3 activities are significantly reduced in the testes of ACBP-/- mice, concomitant with a significant reduction in long- and very-long-chain ceramide levels. Importantly, we show that ACBP interacts with CerS2 and CerS3. Our data uncover a novel mode of regulation of very-long acyl chain ceramide synthesis by ACBP, which we anticipate is of crucial importance in understanding the regulation of ceramide metabolism in pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Santos Ferreira
- From the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Hanne Engelsby
- the Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark, and
| | - Ditte Neess
- the Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark, and
| | - Samuel L Kelly
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
| | - Giora Volpert
- From the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Alfred H Merrill
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- From the Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Nils J Færgeman
- the Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense M, Denmark, and
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27
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Lebesgue N, Megyeri M, Cristobal A, Scholten A, Chuartzman SG, Voichek Y, Scheltema RA, Mohammed S, Futerman AH, Schuldiner M, Heck AJR, Lemeer S. Combining Deep Sequencing, Proteomics, Phosphoproteomics, and Functional Screens To Discover Novel Regulators of Sphingolipid Homeostasis. J Proteome Res 2016; 16:571-582. [PMID: 28152593 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Sphingolipids (SLs) are essential components of cell membranes and are broad-range bioactive signaling molecules. SL levels must be tightly regulated as imbalances affect cellular function and contribute to pathologies ranging from neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders to cancer and aging. Deciphering how SL homeostasis is maintained and uncovering new regulators is required for understanding lipid biology and for identifying new targets for therapeutic interventions. Here we combine omics technologies to identify the changes of the transcriptome, proteome, and phosphoproteome in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae upon SL depletion induced by myriocin. Surprisingly, while SL depletion triggers important changes in the expression of regulatory proteins involved in SL homeostasis, the most dramatic regulation occurs at the level of the phosphoproteome, suggesting that maintaining SL homeostasis demands rapid responses. To discover which of the phosphoproteomic changes are required for the cell's first-line response to SL depletion, we overlaid our omics results with systematic growth screens for genes required during growth in myriocin. By following the rate of SL biosynthesis in those candidates that are both affecting growth and are phosphorylated in response to the drug, we uncovered Atg9, Stp4, and Gvp36 as putative new regulators of SL homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lebesgue
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Márton Megyeri
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel.,Department of Chemical Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Alba Cristobal
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Arjen Scholten
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Silvia G Chuartzman
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Yoav Voichek
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Richard A Scheltema
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Shabaz Mohammed
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Chemical Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Maya Schuldiner
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Weizmann Institute of Science , Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Albert J R Heck
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Simone Lemeer
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Proteomics Center , Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Kim SH, Um SI, Nam Y, Park SY, Dong JH, Ko SK, Sohn UD, Lee SJ. The effect of synthetic ceramide analogues on gastritis and esophagitis in rats. Arch Pharm Res 2016; 39:1313-23. [PMID: 27393666 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-016-0792-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The effects of ceremide analogues on esophagitis and gastritis in rats were examined. Gastritis induced by indomethacin was significantly reduced after CY3325 and CY3723 treatment, whereas other analogues had no effect. The amount of malondialdehyde in gastritis was significantly reduced by CY3325 or CY 3723. CY3325 or CY 3723 decreased the glutathione levels in gastritis. The myeloperoxidase level in gastritis is increased, and its increment was decreased by CY3325 and CY3723. In reflux esophagitis, the ulceration was decreased by CY3325, CY3723. The gastric volume and acid output are reduced, whereas the pH value is increased by CY3325 or CY3723 after esophagitis. These results suggest that ceramide analogues, CY3325 and CY3723, can prevent the development of gastritis and reflux esophagitis in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Hyo Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung In Um
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjin Nam
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Young Park
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea
| | - Je Hyun Dong
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Catholic University of Daegu, Gyeongsan, 38430, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Kwon Ko
- Department of Oriental Medical Food & Nutrition, Semyung University, Jecheon, Choongbuk, 27136, Republic of Korea
| | - Uy Dong Sohn
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sang Joon Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 156-756, Republic of Korea.
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29
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Lalwani KG, Sudalai A. Organocatalytic route to enantioselective synthesis of ceramide trafficking inhibitor HPA-12. Tetrahedron Lett 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2016.04.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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30
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Wegner MS, Schiffmann S, Parnham MJ, Geisslinger G, Grösch S. The enigma of ceramide synthase regulation in mammalian cells. Prog Lipid Res 2016; 63:93-119. [PMID: 27180613 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ceramide synthases (CerS) are key enzymes in the lipid metabolism of eukaryotic cells. Their products, ceramides (Cer), are components of cellular membranes but also mediate signaling functions in physiological processes such as proliferation, skin barrier function and cerebellar development. In pathophysiological processes such as multiple sclerosis and tumor progression, ceramide levels are altered, which can be ascribed, partly, to dysregulation of CerS gene transcription. Most publications deal with the effects of altered ceramide levels on physiological and pathophysiological processes, but the regulation of the appropriate CerS is frequently not investigated. This is insufficient for the clarification of the role of ceramides, because most ceramide species are generated by at least two CerS. The mechanisms of CerS regulation are manifold and it seems that each CerS isoform is regulated individually. For this reason, we discuss the different CerS separately in this review. From transcriptional regulation to alteration of protein activity, the possibilities to influence CerS are diverse. Furthermore, CerS are influenced by a variety of molecules including hormones and lipids. Without claiming completeness, we provide a résumé of the regulatory mechanisms for each CerS in mammalian cells and how dysregulation of these mechanisms during physiological processes may lead to pathophysiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marthe-Susanna Wegner
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Johann- Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Susanne Schiffmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (TMP), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Michael John Parnham
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Project Group Translational Medicine and Pharmacology (TMP), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Gerd Geisslinger
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Johann- Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sabine Grösch
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Johann- Wolfgang Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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31
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Novgorodov SA, Riley CL, Yu J, Keffler JA, Clarke CJ, Van Laer AO, Baicu CF, Zile MR, Gudz TI. Lactosylceramide contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetes. J Lipid Res 2016; 57:546-62. [PMID: 26900161 PMCID: PMC4808764 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m060061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids have been implicated as key mediators of cell-stress responses and effectors of mitochondrial function. To investigate potential mechanisms underlying mitochondrial dysfunction, an important contributor to diabetic cardiomyopathy, we examined alterations of cardiac sphingolipid metabolism in a mouse with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetes. Diabetes increased expression of desaturase 1, (dihydro)ceramide synthase (CerS)2, serine palmitoyl transferase 1, and the rate of ceramide formation by mitochondria-resident CerSs, indicating an activation of ceramide biosynthesis. However, the lack of an increase in mitochondrial ceramide suggests concomitant upregulation of ceramide-metabolizing pathways. Elevated levels of lactosylceramide, one of the initial products in the formation of glycosphingolipids were accompanied with decreased respiration and calcium retention capacity (CRC) in mitochondria from diabetic heart tissue. In baseline mitochondria, lactosylceramide potently suppressed state 3 respiration and decreased CRC, suggesting lactosylceramide as the primary sphingolipid responsible for mitochondrial defects in diabetic hearts. Moreover, knocking down the neutral ceramidase (NCDase) resulted in an increase in lactosylceramide level, suggesting a crosstalk between glucosylceramide synthase- and NCDase-mediated ceramide utilization pathways. These data suggest the glycosphingolipid pathway of ceramide metabolism as a promising target to correct mitochondrial abnormalities associated with type 1 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei A Novgorodov
- Departments of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | | | - Jin Yu
- Departments of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Jarryd A Keffler
- Departments of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | | | - An O Van Laer
- Ralph H. Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401 Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Catalin F Baicu
- Ralph H. Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401 Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Michael R Zile
- Ralph H. Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401 Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Tatyana I Gudz
- Departments of Neuroscience Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425 Ralph H. Johnson Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401
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Voelzmann A, Wulf AL, Eckardt F, Thielisch M, Brondolin M, Pesch YY, Sociale M, Bauer R, Hoch M. NuclearDrosophilaCerS Schlank regulates lipid homeostasis via the homeodomain, independent of the lag1p motif. FEBS Lett 2016; 590:971-81. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.12125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- André Voelzmann
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Anna-Lena Wulf
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Franka Eckardt
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Melanie Thielisch
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Mirco Brondolin
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Yanina-Yasmin Pesch
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Mariangela Sociale
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Reinhard Bauer
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
| | - Michael Hoch
- Program Unit Development, Genetics & Molecular Physiology; Laboratory for Molecular Developmental Biology; LIMES-Institute; University of Bonn; Germany
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33
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Substrate specificity, kinetic properties and inhibition by fumonisin B1 of ceramide synthase isoforms from Arabidopsis. Biochem J 2015; 473:593-603. [PMID: 26635357 DOI: 10.1042/bj20150824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ceramide makes up the acyl-backbone of sphingolipids and plays a central role in determining the function of these essential membrane lipids. In Arabidopsis, the varied chemical composition of ceramide is determined by the specificity of three different isoforms of ceramide synthase, denoted LAG one homologue 1, -2 and -3 (LOH1, LOH2 and LOH3), for a range of long-chain base (LCB) and acyl-CoA substrates. The contribution of each of these isoforms to the synthesis of ceramide was investigated by in vitro ceramide synthase assays. The plant LCB phytosphingosine was efficiently used by the LOH1 and LOH3 isoforms, with LOH1 having the lowest Km for the LCB substrate of the three isoforms. In contrast, sphinganine was used efficiently only by the LOH2 isoform. Acyl-CoA specificity was also distinguished between the three isoforms with LOH2 almost completely specific for palmitoyl-CoA whereas the LOH1 isoform showed greatest activity with lignoceroyl- and hexacosanoyl-CoAs. Interestingly, unsaturated acyl-CoAs were not used efficiently by any isoform whereas unsaturated LCB substrates were preferred by LOH2 and 3. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a general inhibitor of ceramide synthases but LOH1 was found to have a much lower Ki than the other isoforms pointing towards the origin of FB1 sensitivity in plants. Overall, the data suggest distinct roles and modes of regulation for each of the ceramide synthases in Arabidopsis sphingolipid metabolism.
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34
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Wang K, Xu R, Schrandt J, Shah P, Gong YZ, Preston C, Wang L, Yi JK, Lin CL, Sun W, Spyropoulos DD, Rhee S, Li M, Zhou J, Ge S, Zhang G, Snider AJ, Hannun YA, Obeid LM, Mao C. Alkaline Ceramidase 3 Deficiency Results in Purkinje Cell Degeneration and Cerebellar Ataxia Due to Dyshomeostasis of Sphingolipids in the Brain. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005591. [PMID: 26474409 PMCID: PMC4608763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dyshomeostasis of both ceramides and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) in the brain has been implicated in aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders in humans. However, mechanisms that maintain the homeostasis of these bioactive sphingolipids in the brain remain unclear. Mouse alkaline ceramidase 3 (Acer3), which preferentially catalyzes the hydrolysis of C18:1-ceramide, a major unsaturated long-chain ceramide species in the brain, is upregulated with age in the mouse brain. Acer3 knockout causes an age-dependent accumulation of various ceramides and C18:1-monohexosylceramide and abolishes the age-related increase in the levels of sphingosine and S1P in the brain; thereby resulting in Purkinje cell degeneration in the cerebellum and deficits in motor coordination and balance. Our results indicate that Acer3 plays critically protective roles in controlling the homeostasis of various sphingolipids, including ceramides, sphingosine, S1P, and certain complex sphingolipids in the brain and protects Purkinje cells from premature degeneration. Bioactive sphingolipids, such as ceramides and sphingosine-1-phosphates, have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. However, it remains unclear as to how the homeostasis of these bioactive lipids is sustained. Alkaline ceramidase 3 (ACER3) catalyzes the hydrolysis of saturated long-chain ceramides (C18:1-ceramide and C20:1-ceramide) to generate sphingosine (SPH), which is phosphorylated to form sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). In this study we found that Acer3 is upregulated with age in the mouse brain and blocking Acer3 upregulation elevates the levels of ceramides while reducing S1P levels in the brain, thereby resulting in Purkinje cell loss and cerebellar ataxia. This study not only offers novel insights into the role for the homeostasis of ceramides and their metabolites in regulating normal aging of the cerebellum, but also provides a useful genetic tool to dissect the mechanism by which an aberrant accumulation of ceramides results in age-related neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ruijuan Xu
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Schrandt
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Prithvi Shah
- Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Technology and Management, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Yong Z. Gong
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Chet Preston
- Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Technology and Management, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Louis Wang
- Division of Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Technology and Management, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Jae Kyo Yi
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Chih-Li Lin
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Wei Sun
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Demetri D. Spyropoulos
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Soyoung Rhee
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Mingsong Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America
| | - Guofeng Zhang
- Biomedical Engineering and Physical Science Shared Resource, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ashley J. Snider
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, New York, United States of America
| | - Yusuf A. Hannun
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Lina M. Obeid
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, New York, United States of America
| | - Cungui Mao
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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35
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Iqbal J, Walsh MT, Hammad SM, Cuchel M, Tarugi P, Hegele RA, Davidson NO, Rader DJ, Klein RL, Hussain MM. Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein Transfers and Determines Plasma Concentrations of Ceramide and Sphingomyelin but Not Glycosylceramide. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:25863-75. [PMID: 26350457 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.659110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids, a large family of bioactive lipids, are implicated in stress responses, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and other physiological processes. Aberrant plasma levels of sphingolipids contribute to metabolic disease, atherosclerosis, and insulin resistance. They are fairly evenly distributed in high density and apoB-containing lipoproteins (B-lps). Mechanisms involved in the transport of sphingolipids to the plasma are unknown. Here, we investigated the role of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), required for B-lp assembly and secretion, in sphingolipid transport to the plasma. Abetalipoproteinemia patients with deleterious mutations in MTP and absence of B-lps had significantly lower plasma ceramide and sphingomyelin but normal hexosylceramide, lactosylceramide, and different sphingosines compared with unaffected controls. Furthermore, similar differential effects on plasma sphingolipids were seen in liver- and intestine-specific MTP knock-out (L,I-Mttp(-/-)) mice, suggesting that MTP specifically plays a role in the regulation of plasma ceramide and sphingomyelin. We hypothesized that MTP deficiency may affect either their synthesis or secretion. MTP deficiency had no effect on ceramide and sphingomyelin synthesis but reduced secretion from primary hepatocytes and hepatoma cells. Therefore, MTP is involved in ceramide and sphingomyelin secretion but not in their synthesis. We also found that MTP transferred these lipids between vesicles in vitro. Therefore, we propose that MTP might regulate plasma ceramide and sphingomyelin levels by transferring these lipids to B-lps in the liver and intestine and facilitating their secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Samar M Hammad
- the Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425
| | - Marina Cuchel
- the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Patrizia Tarugi
- the Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Robert A Hegele
- the Blackburn Cardiovascular Genetics Laboratory, The Robarts Research Institute, London, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Nicholas O Davidson
- the Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Daniel J Rader
- the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Cardiovascular Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Richard L Klein
- the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Medical Genetics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, the Research Service, Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina 29401, and
| | - M Mahmood Hussain
- From the Departments of Cell Biology and Pediatrics, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203, the Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, Brooklyn, New York 11209
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36
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Cingolani F, Futerman AH, Casas J. Ceramide synthases in biomedical research. Chem Phys Lipids 2015; 197:25-32. [PMID: 26248326 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2015.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Sphingolipid metabolism consists of multiple metabolic pathways that converge upon ceramide, one of the key molecules among sphingolipids (SLs). In mammals, ceramide synthesis occurs via N-acylation of sphingoid backbones, dihydrosphingosine (dhSo) or sphingosine (So). The reaction is catalyzed by ceramide synthases (CerS), a family of enzymes with six different isoforms, with each one showing specificity towards a restricted group of acyl-CoAs, thus producing ceramides (Cer) and dihydroceramides (dhCer) with different fatty acid chain lengths. A large body of evidence documents the role of both So and dhSo as bioactive molecules, as well as the involvement of dhCer and Cer in physiological and pathological processes. In particular, the fatty acid composition of Cer has different effects in cell biology and in the onset and progression of different diseases. Therefore, modulation of CerS activity represents an attractive target in biomedical research and in finding new treatment modalities. In this review, we discuss functional, structural and biochemical features of CerS and examine CerS inhibitors that are currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Cingolani
- Research Unit on BioActive Molecules (RUBAM), Department of Biomedicinal Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Josefina Casas
- Research Unit on BioActive Molecules (RUBAM), Department of Biomedicinal Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
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37
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Luttgeharm KD, Cahoon EB, Markham JE. A mass spectrometry-based method for the assay of ceramide synthase substrate specificity. Anal Biochem 2015; 478:96-101. [PMID: 25725359 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2015.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The acyl composition of sphingolipids is determined by the specificity of the enzyme ceramide synthase (EC 2.3.1.24). Ceramide contains a long-chain base (LCB) linked to a variety of fatty acids to produce a lipid class with potentially hundreds of structural variants. An optimized procedure for the assay of ceramide synthase in yeast microsomes is reported that uses mass spectrometry to detect any possible LCB and fatty acid combination synthesized from unlabeled substrates provided in the reaction. The assay requires the delivery of substrates with bovine serum albumin for maximum activity within defined limits of substrate concentration and specific methods to stop the reaction and extract the lipid that avoid the non-enzymatic synthesis of ceramide. The activity of ceramide synthase in yeast microsomes is demonstrated with the four natural LCBs found in yeast along with six saturated and two unsaturated fatty acyl-coenzyme As from 16 to 26 carbons in length. The procedure allows for the determination of substrate specificity and kinetic parameters toward natural substrates for ceramide synthase from potentially any organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle D Luttgeharm
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Edgar B Cahoon
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Jennifer E Markham
- Department of Biochemistry and Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
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Regulation of ceramide channel formation and disassembly: Insights on the initiation of apoptosis. Saudi J Biol Sci 2015; 22:760-72. [PMID: 26587005 PMCID: PMC4625378 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipid research has surged in the past two decades and has produced a wide variety of evidence supporting the role of this class of molecules in mediating cellular growth, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis. Ceramides are a subgroup of sphingolipids (SLs) that are directly involved in the process of initiation of apoptosis. We, and others, have recently shown that ceramides are capable of the formation of protein-permeable channels in mitochondrial outer membranes under physiological conditions. These pores are indeed good candidates for the pathway of release of pro-apoptotic proteins from the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS) into the cytosol to initiate intrinsic apoptosis. Here, we review recent findings on the regulation of ceramide channel formation and disassembly, highlighting possible implications on the initiation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway.
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Key Words
- Apoptosis
- Assembly and disassembly
- Bcl-2 family proteins
- Bcl-2, B cell CLL/lymphoma-2
- Cer, ceramide
- CerS, ceramide synthase
- Ceramide channels
- Chain length
- DES, dihydroceramide desaturase
- DHCer, dihydroceramide
- ER, endoplasmic reticulum
- IMS, intermembrane space
- KSR, 3-ketosphinganine reductase
- MOMP, mitochondrial outer membrane permeability
- Mitochondria
- SLs, sphingolipids
- SM, sphingomyelin
- SPT, serine palmitoyl transferase
- So, sphingosine
- Sphingolipids
- de novo synthesis
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39
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Yamaji T, Hanada K. Sphingolipid metabolism and interorganellar transport: localization of sphingolipid enzymes and lipid transfer proteins. Traffic 2014; 16:101-22. [PMID: 25382749 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In recent decades, many sphingolipid enzymes, sphingolipid-metabolism regulators and sphingolipid transfer proteins have been isolated and characterized. This review will provide an overview of the intracellular localization and topology of sphingolipid enzymes in mammalian cells to highlight the locations where respective sphingolipid species are produced. Interestingly, three sphingolipids that reside or are synthesized in cytosolic leaflets of membranes (ceramide, glucosylceramide and ceramide-1-phosphate) all have cytosolic lipid transfer proteins (LTPs). These LTPs consist of ceramide transfer protein (CERT), four-phosphate adaptor protein 2 (FAPP2) and ceramide-1-phosphate transfer protein (CPTP), respectively. These LTPs execute functions that affect both the location and metabolism of the lipids they bind. Molecular details describing the mechanisms of regulation of LTPs continue to emerge and reveal a number of critical processes, including competing phosphorylation and dephosphorylation reactions and binding interactions with regulatory proteins and lipids that influence the transport, organelle distribution and metabolism of sphingolipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiyuki Yamaji
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
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A Three-Step Assay for Ceramide Synthase Activity Using a Fluorescent Substrate and HPLC. Lipids 2014; 50:101-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s11745-014-3969-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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41
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Carroll B, Donaldson JC, Obeid L. Sphingolipids in the DNA damage response. Adv Biol Regul 2014; 58:38-52. [PMID: 25434743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recently, sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes have emerged as important targets of many chemotherapeutics and DNA damaging agents and therefore play significant roles in mediating the physiological response of the cell to DNA damage. In this review we will highlight points of connection between the DNA damage response (DDR) and sphingolipid metabolism; specifically how certain sphingolipid enzymes are regulated in response to DNA damage and how the bioactive lipids produced by these enzymes affect cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany Carroll
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jane Catalina Donaldson
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Lina Obeid
- Northport VA Medical Center, Northport, NY 11768, USA; Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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42
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Ceramide synthesis in the epidermis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2013; 1841:422-34. [PMID: 23988654 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2013.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 08/09/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The epidermis and in particular its outermost layer the stratum corneum provides terrestrial vertebrates with a pivotal defensive barrier against water loss, xenobiotics and harmful pathogens. A vital demand for this epidermal permeability barrier is the lipid-enriched lamellar matrix that embeds the enucleated corneocytes. Ceramides are the major components of these highly ordered intercellular lamellar structures, in which linoleic acid- and protein-esterified ceramides are crucial for structuring and maintaining skin barrier integrity. In this review, we describe the fascinating diversity of epidermal ceramides including 1-O-acylceramides. We focus on epidermal ceramide biosynthesis emphasizing its metabolic and topological requirements and discuss enzymes that may be involved in α- and ω-hydroxylation. Finally, we turn to epidermal ceramide regulation, highlighting transcription factors and liposensors recently described to play crucial roles in modulating skin lipid metabolism and epidermal barrier homeostasis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled The Important Role of Lipids in the Epidermis and their Role in the Formation and Maintenance of the Cutaneous Barrier.
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Tidhar R, Futerman AH. The complexity of sphingolipid biosynthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2013; 1833:2511-8. [PMID: 23611790 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2013.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Unlike the synthesis of other membrane lipids, sphingolipid synthesis is compartmentalized between the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus. The initial steps of sphingolipid synthesis, from the activity of serine palmitoyltransferase through to dihydroceramide desaturase, take place in the endoplasmic reticulum, but the further metabolism of ceramide to sphingomyelin and complex glycosphingolipids takes place mostly in the Golgi apparatus. Studies over the last decade or so have revealed unexpected levels of complexity in the sphingolipid biosynthetic pathway, mainly due to either the promiscuity of some enzymes towards their substrates, or the tight selectivity of others towards specific substrates. We now discuss two enzymes in this pathway, namely serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) and ceramide synthase (CerS), and one lipid transport protein, CERT. For SPT and CERT, significant structural information is available, and for CerS, significant information has recently been obtained that sheds light of the roles of the specific ceramide species that are produced by each of the CerS. We consider the mechanisms by which specificity is generated and speculate on the reasons that sphingolipid biosynthesis is so complex. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Functional and structural diversity of endoplasmic reticulum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Tidhar
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Peter Slotte J. Molecular properties of various structurally defined sphingomyelins -- correlation of structure with function. Prog Lipid Res 2013; 52:206-19. [PMID: 23295259 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2012.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Revised: 12/20/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Sphingomyelins are important phospholipids in plasma membranes of most cells. Because of their dominantly saturated nature, they affect the lateral structure of membranes, and contribute to the regulation of cholesterol distribution within membranes, and in cells. However, the abundance of molecular species present in cells also implies that sphingomyelins have other, more specific functions. Many of these functions are currently unknown, but are under extensive study. Mostly model membrane studies have shown that sphingomyelins (and other sphingolipids), in contrast to glycerophospholipids, have important hydrogen bonding properties which in several important ways confer specific functional properties to this abundant class of membrane phospholipids. The often very asymmetric nature of sphingomyelins, arising from mismatch in length between the long chain base and N-acyl chains, also impose specific properties (e.g., interdigitation) to sphingomyelins not seen with glycerophospholipids. In this review, the latest sphingomyelin literature will be scrutinized, and an effort will be made to correlate the molecular structure of sphingomyelin with functional properties. In particular, the effects of head group properties, interfacial hydrogen bonding, long chain base hydroxylation, N-acyl chain hydroxylation, and N-acyl chain methyl-branching will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Peter Slotte
- Biochemistry, Department of Biosciences, Åbo Akademi University, Tykistökatu 6A, 20520 Turku, Finland.
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45
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Abstract
The ceramide synthase (CerS) enzymes catalyze the formation of (dihydro) ceramide, and thereby provide critical complexity to all sphingolipids (SLs) with respect to their acyl chain length. This review summarizes the progress in the field of CerS from the time of their discovery more than a decade ago as Longevity assurance (Lass) genes in yeast, until the recent development of CerS-deficient mouse models. Human hereditary CerS disorders are yet to be discovered. However, the recent findings in CerS mutant animals highlight the important physiological role of these enzymes. The fundamental findings with respect to CerS structure, function, localization, and regulation are discussed, as well as CerS roles in maintaining longevity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joo-Won Park
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 158-710, South Korea
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Kim HJ, Qiao Q, Toop HD, Morris JC, Don AS. A fluorescent assay for ceramide synthase activity. J Lipid Res 2012; 53:1701-7. [PMID: 22661289 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.d025627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The sphingolipids are a diverse family of lipids with important roles in membrane compartmentalization, intracellular signaling, and cell-cell recognition. The central sphingolipid metabolite is ceramide, formed by the transfer of a variable length fatty acid from coenzyme A to a sphingoid base, generally sphingosine or dihydrosphingosine (sphinganine) in mammals. This reaction is catalyzed by a family of six ceramide synthases (CerS1-6). CerS activity is usually assayed using either radioactive substrates or LC-MS/MS. We describe a CerS assay with fluorescent, NBD-labeled sphinganine as substrate. The assay is readily able to detect endogenous CerS activity when using amounts of cell or tissue homogenate protein that are lower than those reported for the radioactive assay, and the Michaelis-Menten constant was essentially the same for NBD-sphinganine and unlabeled sphinganine, indicating that NBD-sphinganine is a good substrate for these enzymes. Using our assay, we confirm that the new clinical immunosuppressant FTY720 is a competitive inhibitor of CerS activity, and show that inhibition requires the compound's lipid tail and amine headgroup. In summary, we describe a fluorescent assay for CerS activity that circumvents the need to use radioactive substrates, while being more accessible and cheaper than LC-MS based assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun Joon Kim
- Lowy Cancer Research Centre, Prince of Wales Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
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Laviad EL, Kelly S, Merrill AH, Futerman AH. Modulation of ceramide synthase activity via dimerization. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:21025-33. [PMID: 22539345 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.363580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ceramide, the backbone of all sphingolipids, is synthesized by a family of ceramide synthases (CerS) that each use acyl-CoAs of defined chain length for N-acylation of the sphingoid long chain base. CerS mRNA expression and enzymatic activity do not always correlate with the sphingolipid acyl chain composition of a particular tissue, suggesting post-translational mechanism(s) of regulation of CerS activity. We now demonstrate that CerS activity can be modulated by dimer formation. Under suitable conditions, high M(r) CerS complexes can be detected by Western blotting, and various CerS co-immunoprecipitate. CerS5 activity is inhibited in a dominant-negative fashion by co-expression with catalytically inactive CerS5, and CerS2 activity is enhanced by co-expression with a catalytically active form of CerS5 or CerS6. In a constitutive heterodimer comprising CerS5 and CerS2, the activity of CerS2 depends on the catalytic activity of CerS5. Finally, CerS dimers are formed upon rapid stimulation of ceramide synthesis by curcumin. Together, these data demonstrate that ceramide synthesis can be regulated by the formation of CerS dimers and suggest a novel way to generate the acyl chain composition of ceramide (and downstream sphingolipids), which may depend on the interaction of CerS with each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elad L Laviad
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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48
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Abstract
Sphingolipid metabolism in metazoan cells consists of a complex interconnected web of numerous enzymes, metabolites and modes of regulation. At the centre of sphingolipid metabolism reside CerSs (ceramide synthases), a group of enzymes that catalyse the formation of ceramides from sphingoid base and acyl-CoA substrates. From a metabolic perspective, these enzymes occupy a unique niche in that they simultaneously regulate de novo sphingolipid synthesis and the recycling of free sphingosine produced from the degradation of pre-formed sphingolipids (salvage pathway). Six mammalian CerSs (CerS1-CerS6) have been identified. Unique characteristics have been described for each of these enzymes, but perhaps the most notable is the ability of individual CerS isoforms to produce ceramides with characteristic acyl-chain distributions. Through this control of acyl-chain length and perhaps in a compartment-specific manner, CerSs appear to regulate multiple aspects of sphingolipid-mediated cell and organismal biology. In the present review, we discuss the function of CerSs as critical regulators of sphingolipid metabolism, highlight their unique characteristics and explore the emerging roles of CerSs in regulating programmed cell death, cancer and many other aspects of biology.
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Structure–activity relationship of sphingomyelin analogs with sphingomyelinase from Bacillus cereus. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2012; 1818:474-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2011.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2011] [Revised: 10/11/2011] [Accepted: 10/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Tidhar R, Ben-Dor S, Wang E, Kelly S, Merrill AH, Futerman AH. Acyl chain specificity of ceramide synthases is determined within a region of 150 residues in the Tram-Lag-CLN8 (TLC) domain. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:3197-206. [PMID: 22144673 PMCID: PMC3270974 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.280271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2011] [Revised: 11/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, ceramides are synthesized by a family of six ceramide synthases (CerS), transmembrane proteins located in the endoplasmic reticulum, where each use fatty acyl-CoAs of defined chain length for ceramide synthesis. Little is known about the molecular features of the CerS that determine acyl-CoA selectivity. We now explore CerS structure-function relationships by constructing chimeric proteins combining sequences from CerS2, which uses C22-CoA for ceramide synthesis, and CerS5, which uses C16-CoA. CerS2 and -5 are 41% identical and 63% similar. Chimeras containing approximately half of CerS5 (from the N terminus) and half of CerS2 (from the C terminus) were catalytically inactive. However, the first 158 residues of CerS5 could be replaced with the equivalent region of CerS2 without affecting specificity of CerS5 toward C16-CoA; likewise, the putative sixth transmembrane domain (at the C terminus) of CerS5 could be replaced with the corresponding sequence of CerS2 without affecting CerS5 specificity. Remarkably, a chimeric CerS5/2 protein containing the first 158 residues and the last 83 residues of CerS2 displayed specificity toward C16-CoA, and a chimeric CerS2/5 protein containing the first 150 residues and the last 79 residues of CerS5 displayed specificity toward C22-CoA, demonstrating that a minimal region of 150 residues is sufficient for retaining CerS specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Tidhar
- From the Departments of Biological Chemistry and
| | - Shifra Ben-Dor
- Biological Services, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel and
| | - Elaine Wang
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
| | - Samuel Kelly
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
| | - Alfred H. Merrill
- the School of Biology and Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0230
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