title: The role of ceramide-1-phosphate in biological functions.
abstract: In mammalian cells, cermide-1-phosphate (C1P) is produced via the ATP-dependent mechanism of converting ceramide to C1P by the enzyme, ceramide kinase (CERK). CERK was first described as a calcium-stimulated lipid kinase that co-purified with brain synaptic vesicles, and to date, CERK is the only identified mammalian enzyme known to produce C1P in cells. C1P has steadily emerged as a bioactive sphingolipid involved in cell proliferation, macrophage migration, and inflammatory events. The recent generation of the CERK knockout mouse and the development of CERK inhibitors have furthered our current understanding of CERK-derived C1P in regulating biological processes. In this chapter, the history of C1P as well as the biological functions attributed to C1P are reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 East Marshall Street, P.O Box 980614, Richmond, VA 23298-0614, USA.
authors.forename: L Alexis
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hoeferlin
authors.forename: Dayanjan S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wijesinghe
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Chalfant
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival; D002518:Ceramides / Q000502:physiology*; D054513:Group IV Phospholipases A2 / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; C065576:ceramide 1-phosphate; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C066324:ceramide kinase; D054513:Group IV Phospholipases A2