title: Does endotoxin stimulate cells by mimicking ceramide?
abstract: Recent studies indicate that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) stimulate cells via the intracellular messenger ceramide. Bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) shows strong structural and functional resemblance to ceramide. Here, Samuel Wright and Richard Kolesnick review data suggesting that LPS may provoke cellular responses by mimicking the action of ceramide.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021, USA.
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Kolesnick
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Q000187:drug effects; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000502:physiology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002518:Ceramides; D016207:Cytokines; D004731:Endotoxins; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D019908:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-raf; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein