Ceramide-1-phosphate, a new bioactive sphingolipid in regulating cell signaling

Abstract

Sphingolipids and their metabolites have emerged as a new class of lipid mediator of various cell functions. It has been over a decade since the sphingolipid, ceramide-1-phosphate, was described. Until recently, only sparse reports on possible biological functions for this lipid have been published. In the last few years, a large number of reports have surfaced demonstrating distinct biological mechanisms regulated by ceramide-1-phosphate. The following is a review of the current literature on this overlooked lipid, with emphasis on its newly discovered role in signal transduction.

Key words:

• Apoptosis
• Calcium
• Ceramide Kinase
• Ceramide-1-Phosphate
• Cytosolic Phospholipase A₂α
• Eicosanoids
• Inflammation
• Phagocytosis