title: Ceramide induces apoptosis in PC12 cells.
abstract: The novel lipid second messenger, ceramide, induced apoptosis in PC12 cells as determined morphologically by nuclear appearance and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis was induced by exogenous C2-ceramide in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Natural ceramide and C6-ceramide had a similar effect. This response was specific since the structural analog C2-dihydroceramide and other related lipids failed to initiate apoptosis. The apoptotic effect of ceramide also depends critically on cell plating density. Furthermore, the peptide inhibitor of interleukin-1beta converting enzyme (ICE)-like proteases, Z-VAD.FMK, completely prevented the nuclear changes induced by ceramide, implicating the involvement of ICE-like protease activation in ceramide-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide. P.Hartfield@flinders.edu.au
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hartfield
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Mayne
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Murray
mesh_terms: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D020170:Caspase 1; D002452:Cell Count; D002518:Ceramides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000590:Amino Acid Chloromethyl Ketones; D002518:Ceramides; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; C096713:benzyloxycarbonylvalyl-alanyl-aspartyl fluoromethyl ketone; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D020170:Caspase 1