title: Ceramide kinase deficiency improves diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance.
abstract: Ceramide kinase (CERK) is an enzyme that phosphorylates ceramide to produce ceramide 1-phosphate. Recently, evidence has emerged that CERK has a role in inflammatory signaling of immune cells. Since obesity is accompanied by chronic, low-grade inflammation, we examined whether CERK might be involved using CERK-null mice. We determined that CERK deficiency suppresses diet-induced increases in body weight, and improves glucose intolerance. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CERK deficiency attenuates MCP-1/CCR2 signaling in macrophages infiltrating the adipose tissue, resulting in the suppression of inflammation in adipocytes, which might otherwise lead to obesity and diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomembrane and Biofunctional Chemistry, Faculty of Advanced Life Sciences, Hokkaido University, Japan. susumu-m@pharm.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mitsutake
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Date
authors.forename: Hazuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.forename: Masako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohama
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Igarashi
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000201:enzymology; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D009765:Obesity / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism; D054390:Receptors, CCR2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: C491768:Ccl2 protein, mouse; C515335:Ccr2 protein, mouse; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C066324:ceramide kinase