The role of ceramide in regulating endoplasmic reticulum function

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta. Molecular and cell biology of lipids Vol. 1865; no. 1; p. 158489
• Main Authors: Zelnik, Iris D., Ventura, Ana E., Kim, Jiyoon L., Silva, Liana C., Futerman, Anthony H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-01-2020
• Subjects: Animals; Ceramide; Ceramide domains; Ceramide synthase; Ceramides - metabolism; Endoplasmic reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum - metabolism; Humans; Membrane Fluidity; Sphingolipids; Sphingolipids - metabolism; Sphingosine N-Acyltransferase - metabolism; Ceramide; Ceramide domains; Membrane fluidity; Sphingolipids; Ceramide synthase; Endoplasmic reticulum
• ISSN: 1388-1981; 1879-2618
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2019.06.015

Sphingolipids (SLs) are an important class of membrane lipids containing a long chain sphingoid base backbone. SL synthesis is compartmentalized between two major cell organelles, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the Golgi apparatus. The initial steps of sphingolipid synthesis take place in the ER, where the simplest SL, ceramide, is synthesized. Although ceramide is a critical membrane component, an imbalance of ceramide levels can have significant deleterious effects on cell properties leading to events such as apoptosis. For this reason and others, ER ceramide levels must be tightly regulated. Here, we describe the biological and biophysical properties of ceramide and discuss how this might impact the ER membrane. This article is part of a special issue entitled: ER Platforms for Membrane Lipid Dynamics.
•The endoplasmic reticulum is a dynamic and complex cellular organelle.•Ceramide has unique biophysical properties that could, in principle, impinge upon ER function.•Multiple cellular mechanisms regulate ceramide homeostasis in the ER.