Authors: Zeidan, Y.H.; Hannun, Y.A.

Source: Current Molecular Medicine, Volume 10, Number 5, July 2010 , pp. 454-466(13)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

One of the most intriguing enzymes of sphingolipid biology is acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase). In a phospholipase C reaction, ASMase catalyzes the cleavage of the phosphocholine head group of sphingomyelin to generate ceramide. Cumulative efforts of various laboratories over the past 40 years have placed ASMase and its product ceramide at the forefront of lipid research. Activation of the ASMase/ceramide pathway is a shared response to an ever-growing list of receptor and non-receptor mediated forms of cellular stress including: death ligands (TNFα, TRAIL, Fas ligand), cytokines (IL-1, IFNγ), radiation, pathogenic infections, cytotoxic agents and others. The strategic role of ASMase in lipid metabolism and cellular stress response has sparked interest in investigatig the molecular mechanisms underlying ASMase activation. In this article, we review the translational role of the ASMase/ceramide pathway and recent advances on its mechanisms of regulation.

Keywords: Ceramide; sphingomyelinase; protein kinase C; apoptosis; cancer; membranes; sphingolipids

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156652410791608225

Publication date: 2010-07-01

More about this publication?

• Current Molecular Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal focused on providing the readership with current and comprehensive reviews on fundamental molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis, the development of molecular-diagnosis and/or novel approaches to rational treatment. The reviews should be of significant interest to basic researchers and clinical investigators in molecular medicine. Periodically the journal will invite guest editors to devote an issue on a basic research area that shows promise to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of a disease or has potential for clinical applications.

Related content

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Pathology
• By this author: Zeidan, Y.H. ;  Hannun, Y.A.

Website © Publishing Technology. Article copyright remains with the publisher, society or author(s) as specified within the article.

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Information for advertisers