title: Caged ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) analogs: Novel tools for studying C1P biology.
abstract: Ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid metabolite that is produced in cells by the action of ceramide kinase (CerK) acting upon ceramide, and is also found in the circulation. C1P was first demonstrated to be mitogenic and antiapoptotic in different cell types, and was later shown to induce cell migration. Understanding the precise mechanisms by which C1P exerts its biological effects has been possible using specific photosensitive caged C1P analogues synthesized by Robert Bittman's group. These compounds are cell permeable, bypass cell plasma membrane receptors, and can be released into the cytosol upon light irradiation, thereby allowing precise determination of the intracellular mechanisms of actions of C1P. Two derivatives of N-palmitoyl-ceramide 1-phosphate have been used in most studies. In one C1P derivative the cage was 7-(N,N-diethylamino)coumarin (DECM-C1P) while in the other it was a 4-bromo-5-hydroxy-2-nitrobenzhydryl moiety (BHNB-C1P). The uncaging process released C1P in the cytosol, and this was accompanied by stimulation of cell proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, and production of low levels of reactive oxygen species. However, intracellular accumulation of C1P did not affect chemotaxis. The caged C1P analogues allowed distinction between the extracellular events evoked by C1P, as for example through interaction with a putative cell-surface receptor, from its intracellular effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. Electronic address: antonio.gomez@ehu.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez-Muñoz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gangoiti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Io-Guané
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Presa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gomez-Larrauri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ordoñez
mesh_terms: D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C065576:ceramide 1-phosphate
keywords: Caged lipids; Ceramide 1-phosphate; Ceramides; Photolysis; Sphingolipids