Interleukin 2 (IL-2) rescued human natural killer (NK) KHYG-1 cells from apoptosis along with a reduction of ceramide. Conversely, an increase of ceramide inhibited IL-2-rescued survival. IL-2 deprivation-induced activation of acid sphingomyelinase (SMase) and inhibition of glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) and sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) were normalized by IL-2 supplementation. A phosphatidyl i...

The endothelial isoform of NO synthase (eNOS) is targeted to sphingolipid-enriched signal-transducing microdomains in the plasma membrane termed caveolae. Among the caveolae-targeted sphingolipids are the ceramides, a class of acylated sphingosine compounds that have been implicated in diverse cellular responses. We have explored the role of ceramide analogues in eNOS signaling in cultured bovi...

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase β, the catalytic subunit of mitochondrial complex V, synthesizes ATP. We show that ATP synthase β is deacetylated by a human nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+))-dependent protein deacetylase, sirtuin 3, and its Drosophila melanogaster homologue, dSirt2. dsirt2 mutant flies displayed increased acetylation of specific Lys residues in ATP synthase β and...

Abstract Background Sphingomyelin synthase (SMS) is the only enzyme that synthesizes sphingomyelin from ceramide. The role of in epidermis being understood, but there no report on its dermis. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation collagen SMS2-deficient mice reveals SMS2 production. Methods were used for this study. dermis thickness was measured by Elastica van Gieson staining, fiber observed...

A three-part mechanism is proposed for the induction of Alzheimer’s disease: (1) decreased blood lactic acid; (2) increased ceramide and adipokines; (3) folic acid. The age-related nature these mechanisms comes from age-associated muscle mass, visceral fat changes in diet. This also explains why many people do not develop disease. Simple lifestyle diet can prevent disease caused by a cascade ev...

D609 is known to modulate death receptor-induced ceramide generation and cell death. We show that in Jurkat cells, non-toxic D609 concentrations inhibit sphingomyelin synthase and, to a lesser extent, glucosylceramide synthase, and transiently increase the intracellular ceramide level. D609 significantly enhanced FasL-induced caspase activation and apoptosis. D609 stimulated FasL-induced cell d...

Immunopathogenetic mechanisms of dengue virus (DENV) infection are involved in hemorrhagic syndrome resulting from thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and vasculopathy. We have proposed a mechanism of molecular mimicry in which Abs against DENV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) cross-react with human endothelial cells and cause NF-κB-regulated immune activation and NO-mediated apoptosis. However, the s...

Ceramide is a common precursor of sphingomyelin (SM) and glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in mammalian cells. Ceramide synthase 2 (CERS2), one of the six ceramide synthase isoforms, is responsible for the synthesis of very long chain fatty acid (C20-26 fatty acids) (VLC)-containing ceramides (VLC-Cer). It is known that the proportion of VLC species in GSLs is higher than that in SM. To address the mec...

Cancer stem cells are distinguished from normal adult stem cells by their stemness without tissue homeostasis control. Glycosphingolipids (GSLs), particularly globo-series GSLs, are important markers of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells, but little is known about whether or not ceramide glycosylation, which controls glycosphingolipid synthesis, plays a role in modulating stem cells. Here, w...

Ceramide synthase 1 (CERS1) is the most highly expressed CERS in the central nervous system, and ceramide with an 18-carbon-containing fatty acid chain (C18-ceramide) in the brain plays important roles in signaling and sphingolipid development. However, the roles of CERS1 and C18-ceramide in glioma are largely unknown. In the present study, measured by electrospray ionization linear ion trap ma...