Luberto Chiara, Kraveka Jacqueline M, Hannun Yusuf A
Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425, USA.
Neurochem Res. 2002 Aug;27(7-8):609-17. doi: 10.1023/a:1020267831851.
One of the characteristics of ceramide-mediated biology is the variety of biological outcomes observed in response to its intracellular accumulation. The molecular mechanisms that govern the cell "decision-making" in response to ceramide remain largely unclear. In this perspective, the study of neural models has begun to provide important insight into the understanding of these mechanisms that regulate differentiation and cell death. Indeed, differentiation and cell death are among the most common effects elicited by ceramide in most cell types and in neural cells, too. Therefore, the lessons we may learn from the study of ceramide regulation of neurobiology would also shed light on the regulation of ceramide-mediated biology in other cellular models. Since increasing evidence links aberrant metabolism of ceramide to different pathologies, the understanding of the mechanisms underlying these events may represent the key to the design of novel therapeutic approaches.
神经酰胺介导的生物学特性之一是，其细胞内蓄积会引发多种生物学结果。目前，对于神经酰胺引发细胞“决策”的分子机制仍知之甚少。从这一角度来看，对神经模型的研究已开始为理解这些调节分化和细胞死亡的机制提供重要线索。事实上，分化和细胞死亡是神经酰胺在大多数细胞类型以及神经细胞中引发的最常见效应。因此，我们从神经酰胺对神经生物学调节的研究中获得的经验，也将有助于阐明其在其他细胞模型中介导生物学过程的机制。鉴于越来越多的证据表明神经酰胺代谢异常与多种疾病相关，了解这些事件背后的机制可能是设计新型治疗方法的关键。
