Ceramide induces myogenic differentiation and apoptosis in Drosophila Schneider cells.
Cells exposed to genotoxic stress, such as ionizing radiation and DNA damaging reagents, either arrest the cell cycle to repair the genome, or undergo apoptosis, depending on the extent of the DNA damage. DNA damage also has been implicated in various differentiation processes. It has been reported that gamma-ray exposure or treatment with DNA-damaging agents could induce myogenic differentiation in Drosophila Schneider cells. However, the mechanism underlying this process has been poorly understood. In this study, exposure of Schneider cells to X-rays or energetic carbon ion beams caused increase of TUNEL-positive cells and conversion of round-shaped cells to elongated cells. Both upregulation of genes related to myogenesis and increase of myosin indicate that the radiation-induced morphological changes of Schneider cells were accompanied with myogenic differentiation. Because the intracellular ceramide was increased in Schneider cells after exposure to X-ray, we examined whether exogenous ceramide could mimic radiation-induced myogenic differentiation. Addition of membrane-permeable C(2)-ceramide to Schneider cells increased apoptosis and expression of myogenic genes. These results suggest that ceramide plays important roles in both apoptosis and the radiation-induced myogenic differentiation process.
Kawamura
Hidemasa
H
Department of Radiation Oncology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan.
Tatei
Kazuaki
K
Nonaka
Tetsuo
T
Obinata
Hideru
H
Hattori
Tomoyasu
T
Ogawa
Ai
A
Kazama
Hideko
H
Hamada
Nobuyuki
N
Funayama
Tomoo
T
Sakashita
Tetsuya
T
Kobayashi
Yasuhiko
Y
Nakano
Takashi
T
Izumi
Takashi
T
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002244:Carbon; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002518:Ceramides / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004249:DNA Damage; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D005720:Gamma Rays; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007477:Ions; D008954:Models, Biological; D013997:Time Factors; D014965:X-Rays
D002518:Ceramides; D007477:Ions; D002244:Carbon