title: Ceramide and sphingomyelin species of fibroblasts and neurons in culture.
abstract: The ceramide (Cer) and sphingomyelin (SM) species of cultured differentiated rat cerebellar granule cells and human fibroblasts were characterized by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. We identified 35 different species of Cer and 18 species of SM in human fibroblasts, and 35 different species of Cer and 9 species of SM were characterized in rat neurons. The main Cer species of rat cerebellar granule cells contained d18:1 sphingosine linked with palmitic, stearic, or nervonic fatty acid, and the two main SM species were d18:1,16:0 and d18:1,18:0. Both sphingolipids were enriched in detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs; or lipid rafts), and significant differences were found in the sphingolipid patterns of DRMs and of detergent-soluble fractions (DSF) from these cells. In human fibroblasts, the main Cer species were d18:1,16:0, d18:2,16:0, d18:1,24:0, d18:2,24:0, d18:1,24:1, and d18:2,24:1; the most represented species of SM were d18:1,16:0, d18:1,24:0, and d18:1,24:1. In these cells, SM was highly enriched in DRMs and Cer was mainly associated with DSF, and the species found in DRMs were markedly different from those found in DSF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Biotechnology, Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, 20090 Segrate, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valsecchi
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casellato
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prioni
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loberto
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prinetti
authors.forename: Vanna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chigorno
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonnino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002518:Ceramides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D013045:Species Specificity; D013109:Sphingomyelins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D013109:Sphingomyelins