Biology:Ceramide synthase 4
| Ceramide synthase 4 | |
|---|---|
| Identifiers | |
| Symbol | CerS4 |
| Alt. symbols | LASS4 |
| NCBI gene | 79603 |
| HGNC | 23747 |
| OMIM | 615334 |
| RefSeq | NM_024552.2 |
| UniProt | Q9HA82 |
| Other data | |
| EC number | 2.3.1.24 |
| Locus | Chr. 19 p13.3 |
Ceramide synthase 4 (CerS4) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the CERS4 gene and is one of the least studied of the ceramide synthases.
Function and distribution
CerS4 synthesizes ceramides containing C18-22 fatty acids in a fumonisin B1-independent manner.[1] It is expressed at highest levels in skin, leukocytes, heart and liver, although at much lower levels than other ceramide synthases.[2]
Tissue and cellular distribution
CerS4 (TRH1) mRNA was found in all tissues and is strongly expressed in skin and muscle[1]
Clinical significance
In a 2009 study of breast cancer, total ceramide synthase levels were increased in malignant tissue, and CerS4 was one of three ceramide synthases to show an increase in mRNA levels. A significant correlation was found between CerS4 and CerS2/CerS6 expression.[3][4] Unlike CerS1 and CerS5, CerS4 does not sensitize cells to chemotherapeutic drugs.[5]
CerS4 may also be involved in the control of body weight and food intake. Upon administration of leptin, a decrease in ceramide levels was observed in rat white adipose tissue, as were expression levels of a number of genes in the sphingolipid metabolic pathway, including CerS2 and CerS4.[6]
CerS4 expression was also found to be elevated in the brain of an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Two mammalian longevity assurance gene (LAG1) family members, trh1 and trh4, regulate dihydroceramide synthesis using different fatty acyl-CoA donors". Journal of Biological Chemistry 278 (44): 43452–43459. October 2003. doi:10.1074/jbc.M307104200. PMID 12912983.
- ↑ "Characterization of ceramide synthase 2: tissue distribution, substrate specificity, and inhibition by sphingosine 1-phosphate". Journal of Biological Chemistry 283 (9): 5677–5684. 2008. doi:10.1074/jbc.M707386200. PMID 18165233.
- ↑ "Ceramide synthases and ceramide levels are increased in breast cancer tissue". Carcinogenesis 30 (5): 745–752. 2009. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgp061. PMID 19279183.
- ↑ "Increased ceramide synthase 2 and 6 mRNA levels in breast cancer tissues and correlation with sphingosine kinase expression". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 391 (1): 219–223. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.11.035. PMID 19912991.
- ↑ "Mammalian ceramide synthases". IUBMB Life 62 (5): 347–56. 2010. doi:10.1002/iub.319. PMID 20222015.
- ↑ "Central leptin regulates total ceramide content and sterol regulatory element binding protein-1C proteolytic maturation in rat white adipose tissue". Endocrinology 150 (1): 169–78. 2009. doi:10.1210/en.2008-0505. PMID 18801905.
- ↑ "Long-chain ceramide is elevated in presenilin 1 (PS1M146V) mouse brain and induces apoptosis in PS1 astrocytes". Glia 56 (4): 449–56. 2008. doi:10.1002/glia.20626. PMID 18205190.
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