title: A new class of lipid desaturase central to sphingolipid biosynthesis and signalling.
abstract: Sphingolipids and their phosphorylated metabolites play crucial roles in intracellular signalling in animals, and evidence is emerging for analogous situations in fungi and plants. Central to this signalling pathway is the phosphorylation of the sphingoid long chain base, sphingosine, which yields sphingosine-1-phosphate. Until recently, the enzyme responsible for the biosynthesis of sphingosine was unknown, but the Delta(4)-long chain base desaturase that carries out this reaction has now been identified. Orthologues are present in animals, plants and fungi, raising the possibility of using reverse genetics to determine the contribution of sphingosine-1-phosphate to signalling networks.
authors.affiliation: IACR-Long Ashton Research Station, Long Ashton, Bristol, UK BS41 9AF. jon.napier@bbsrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Johnathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Napier
authors.forename: Louise V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Michaelson
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D002518:Ceramides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases / Q000378:metabolism*; D008246:Lysophospholipids; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D008246:Lysophospholipids; D013107:Sphingolipids; C060506:sphingosine 1-phosphate; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D044943:Fatty Acid Desaturases; C046335:dihydrosphingosine reductase; D013110:Sphingosine