title: PAQRs: a counteracting force to ceramides?
abstract: In recent years, sphingolipids have garnered increasing attention for their roles in modulating intracellular signaling events. Circulating factors associated with obesity promote excess accumulation of ceramide or glucosylceramide derivatives, which impair insulin action in peripheral tissues. In this issue, Villa et al. (p. 866) provide evidence that, in yeast, the progestin and adipoQ receptor superfamily of receptors mediate their effects via a novel ceramidase activity, generating sphingoid base as a second messenger.
authors.affiliation: Touchstone Diabetes Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390-8549, USA.
authors.forename: William L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Philipp E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Scherer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002518:Ceramides / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin