title: Enzymatic synthesis of N,N-dimethyl-sphingosine: demonstration of the sphingosine: N-methyltransferase in mouse brain.
abstract: Based on our recent finding that N,N-dimethyl-D-erythro-sphingenine strongly inhibits protein kinase C (PK-C) whereas D-erythro-sphingenine produces only weak inhibition, we have studied the presence of N-methyltransferase responsible for conversion of sphingosine to its N,N-dimethyl derivative. The enzyme activity was detected in crude mouse brain tissue homogenate but was hardly detectable in liver homogenate, in which N-methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is predominant.
authors.affiliation: Biomembrane Institute, Seattle, WA 98119.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hakomori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
chemical_list: D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D008780:Methyltransferases; C061802:sphingosine N-methyltransferase; C061800:N,N-dimethylsphingosine; D013110:Sphingosine