title: Sphingomyelin-degrading pathways in human cells role in cell signalling.
abstract: The ubiquitous sphingophospholipid sphingomyelin (SM) can be hydrolysed in human cells to ceramide by different sphingomyelinases (SMases). These enzymes exert a dual role, enabling not only the turnover of membrane SM and the degradation of exogenous (lipoprotein) SM, but also the signal-induced generation of the lipid second messenger ceramide. This review focuses on the function(s) of the different SMases in living cells. While both lysosomal and non-lysosomal pathways that ensure SM hydrolysis in intact cells can be distinguished, the precise contribution of each of these SM-cleaving enzymes to the production of ceramide as a signalling molecule remains to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U. 466, Laboratoire de Biochimie, Maladies Métaboliques, Institut Louis Bugnard, CHU Rangueil, Toulouse, France. levade@rangueil.inserm.fr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Levade
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Andrieu-Abadie
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ségui
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Augé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatelut
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Jaffrézou
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvayre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002518:Ceramides / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology*; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000502:physiology; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D013109:Sphingomyelins; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase