鞘脂与细胞凋亡

随着生物技术的不断发展,近年来对鞘脂类物质的研究不断深入。鞘脂质除了在细胞骨架的迁移、血管发生、胚胎发育和信号转导等方面起重要作用外,最近的研究发现鞘脂及其代谢物(神经酰胺、鞘氨醇、鞘氨醇-1-磷酸)能诱导多种肿瘤和恶性增殖细胞(如腺癌、结肠癌、肝肿瘤、肺癌、鼻咽癌等)的凋亡。本文着重对鞘脂与细胞凋亡相关的最新研究进展进行综述。     

肿瘤鞘脂代谢异常与肿瘤细胞对维甲酸类药物耐药性

维甲酸类药物对多种癌症有效,其作用包括诱导凋亡、抑制生长、促进分化等,这主要通过调节维甲酸受体包括维甲酸受体(retinoic acid receptor,RAR)和维甲酸X受体(rexinoid X receptor,RXR)的表达实现。目前发现,一些患者癌细胞的RAR、RXR或RAR/RXR表达缺乏,可能导致癌细胞对维甲酸产生耐药性。鞘脂代谢异常和维甲酸类受体表达缺失密切相关,在癌细胞对维甲酸产生耐药性中发挥着重要作用。本文就鞘脂代谢异常与维甲酸受体表达异常及维甲酸类药物耐药的相关性做一简要综述。     

真菌鞘脂代谢及其与抗真菌药物关系研究进展

鞘脂是真核细胞中普遍存在的成分,它在真核细胞的胞吞、胞饮、信号转导、细胞的生长、凋亡、分化、衰老等过程中起着非常重要的作用.该文论述了真菌鞘脂代谢的途径及参与其合成的相关酶和基因,并比较了真菌与哺乳动物鞘脂代谢途径的不同,旨在为研究新型无公害抗真菌药物提供理论依据.     

鞘脂在植物-真菌互作中的分子调控机制研究进展

鞘脂是细胞生物膜结构的重要组分, 鞘脂及其代谢产物参与许多重要的信号转导过程。在植物-真菌互作中, 植物鞘脂的主要作用是诱导细胞发生程序性死亡; 真菌鞘脂既能引起植物死亡, 也能诱导植物产生抗病性。该文总结了植物和真菌鞘脂的结构及代谢特点, 综述了鞘脂参与调控植物-真菌互作的分子机制研究进展, 并展望了植物-真菌共生关系中鞘脂作用的研究方向。     

鞘氨醇激酶-磷酸鞘氨醇轴在血管生成相关性疾病中的作用

血管生成是指在原有血管的基础上形成新血管的过程.病理性血管生成是癌症、心血管类疾病和视网膜病变等一系列疾病的标志.1-磷酸鞘氨醇(sphingosine-1-phosphate,S1P)是一种信号脂质,由鞘氨醇激酶(sphingosine kinases,SPHK)合成,通过5种G蛋白偶联受体(sphingosine-...     

鞘氨醇激酶活性测定方法的建立及其初步应用

目的:建立生物样品中鞘氨醇激酶(SPK)活性和1-磷酸鞘氨醇(S1P)含量的测定方法.方法:用Flag标记的SPK基因表达载体转染ECV304细胞,用Western blot方法检测转染后SPK基因的表达,用酶促反应、同住素掺入和薄层层析的方法检测SPK的活性.提取细胞或组织的S1P,碱性磷酸酶消化去除磷酸根,然后利用SPK的催化活性和同位素标记的方法对S1P进行定量.结果:转染基因后细胞的SPK表达明显升高,活性显著增强,细胞内S1P的含量也明显增多.肝细胞生长因子(HGF)刺激能增强ECV304细胞SPK的活性和细胞内S1P水平.结论:建立了SPK活性和S1P含量的测定方法.     

鞘脂在植物-真菌互作中的分子调控机制研究进展

鞘脂是细胞生物膜结构的重要组分, 鞘脂及其代谢产物参与许多重要的信号转导过程。在植物-真菌互作中, 植物鞘脂的主要作用是诱导细胞发生程序性死亡; 真菌鞘脂既能引起植物死亡, 也能诱导植物产生抗病性。该文总结了植物和真菌鞘脂的结构及代谢特点, 综述了鞘脂参与调控植物-真菌互作的分子机制研究进展, 并展望了植物-真菌共生关系中鞘脂作用的研究方向。     

鞘氨醇单胞菌的研究进展

鞘氨醇单胞菌(Sphingomonas)不仅细胞膜含有比脂多糖更疏水的鞘糖脂,而且具有高效的代谢调控机制和基因调控能力,使其在威兰胶合成、环境修复和促进植物生长等方面具有巨大的应用潜力。目前国内在鞘氨醇单胞菌代谢机制方面的研究尚无新突破。本文主要综述了鞘氨醇单胞菌的系统分类、基因组学、基因调控机制及其应用等方面的研究,从基因层面分析鞘氨醇单胞菌产威兰胶的合成机制,为后续鞘氨醇单胞菌高密度发酵、工业化生产等研究提供理论基础,以便进一步发掘其在生物技术上的应用潜力。     

鞘氨醇杆菌的研究进展

鞘氨醇杆菌是一类革兰氏阴性非发酵杆状细菌,很少引起人类感染,它的主要特点是含有大量的细胞膜鞘磷脂。由于其广泛的生态分布与石油降解能力,已引起了环境微生物学者的重视。本综述总结分析了鞘氨醇杆菌的分类学地位及其主要成员的进化亲缘关系,重点阐述了它们的生理生化特征方面的研究进展,最后总结了8个鞘氨醇杆菌的基因组特征,以期为深入研究鞘氨醇杆菌的功能及其泛基因组提供理论指导,并进一步对鞘氨醇杆菌的深入研究进行了展望。     

糖鞘脂分析技术及相关疾病研究进展

糖鞘脂是一类广泛分布在动物细胞膜表面的糖脂类物质,它在调控细胞识别、黏附、增殖以及凋亡等方面均有重要的生物学作用.本综述主要讨论了在现代分析技术范畴中,糖鞘脂的鉴定及其糖链结构的分离与解析方面的研究进展和糖鞘脂在癌症等疾病发生发展中所起的生物学功能,以及糖鞘脂作为疾病治疗靶标的可能性.随着现代仪器技术,尤其是质谱技术和色谱-质谱联用技术的发展,糖鞘脂的分离与检测也进入了高速发展的时代.目前,使用质谱技术在肝癌、结直肠癌、乳腺癌等恶性肿瘤的组织样本中均发现了不同种类糖鞘脂不同程度的异常表达.其中,岩藻糖基化的糖鞘脂上调表达在众多癌症糖鞘脂检测中尤为突出,故岩藻糖基化的糖鞘脂可能会成为一类癌症的早期诊断标志物.近年来,随着对糖鞘脂理解的不断深入,糖鞘脂在诸多疾病,如癌症血管生成过程中的功能研究成为了热点之一.例如,从肿瘤细胞表面脱落的大多数糖鞘脂在肿瘤微环境中主要起到了促进血管生成的作用,而与此相反的是,另一种结构简单的神经节苷脂GM3却起到了抑制血管生成的作用.本综述汇集了对上述现象在分子水平上的不同解读以及利用此现象对癌症靶向治疗的研究与探索,并对基于抑制糖鞘脂合成的靶向治疗的发展前景进行了分析展望.     

Sphingolipid distribution changes with age in the human lens

The formation of an internal barrier to the diffusion of small molecules in the lens during middle age is hypothesized to be a key event in the development of age-related nuclear (ARN) cataract. Changes in membrane lipids with age may be responsible. In this study, we investigated the effect of age on the distribution of sphingomyelins, the most abundant lens phospholipids. Human lens sections were initially analyzed by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. A distinct annular distribution of the dihydrosphingomyelin, DHSM (d18:0/16:0), in the barrier region was observed in 64- and 70-year-old lenses but not in a 23-year-old lens. An increase in the dihydroceramide, DHCer (d18:0/16:0), in the lens nucleus was also observed in the older lenses. These findings were supported by ESI mass spectrometry analysis of lipid extracts from lenses dissected into outer, barrier, and nuclear regions. A subsequent analysis of 18 lenses ages 20–72 years revealed that sphingomyelin levels increased with age in the barrier region until reaching a plateau at approximately 40 years of age. Such changes in lipid composition will have a significant impact on the physical properties of the fiber cell membranes and may be associated with the formation of a barrier.     

酸性鞘磷脂酶/神经酰胺通路在疾病发生发展中 作用机制的研究进展

酸性鞘磷脂酶/神经酰胺通路可介导细胞凋亡、炎症和自噬等多种细胞活动,与心脑血管疾病、代谢类疾病、肺部和肝部疾病以及 神经系统疾病等多种疾病的发生、发展密切相关。酸性鞘磷脂酶现已成为多种疾病的临床生物标记物和潜在的治疗靶点。综述酸性鞘磷脂 酶/神经酰胺通路在各种疾病中的生物学功能和作用机制最新研究进展,旨在为相关疾病的治疗提供新思路。     

Metabolism of semisynthetic single-chain GM1 derivatives in cerebellar granule cells in culture

Semisynthetic single-chain GM1 derivatives containing N-acetyl-sphingosine (LIGA4) or N-dichloroacetyl-sphingosine (LIGA20) were recently reported to exert strong protection against glutamate-induced neuronal death in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells. Elucidation of the molecular mechanism underlying the evoked effect requires knowledge of the metabolic fate of such molecules in the same cultured cells. For this, LIGA4 and LIGA20 were made radioactive on the long chain base moiety and added to cerebellar granule cells in culture in parallel with GM1 ganglioside. The metabolic fate was then investigated. It was found that both these molecules were easily taken up by the cells and promptly metabolized in a fashion qualitatively similar to that of control GM1. The highest amount processed was attributed to the different aggregation properties of LIGAs in solution. Among metabolites, higher accumulation of the single-chain ceramide residues was found after LIGA administration. Interestingly, sphingomyelin was generated, regardless the added compound, suggesting a recycling of the free long chain base.     

Sphingolipids in Neuroblastoma: Their Role in Drug Resistance Mechanisms

Disseminated neuroblastoma usually calls for chemotherapy as the primary approach for treatment. Treatment failure is often attributable to drug resistance. This involves a variety of cellular mechanisms, including increased drug efflux through expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters (e.g., P-glycoprotein) and the inability of tumor cells to activate or propagate the apoptotic response. In recent years it has become apparent that sphingolipid metabolism and the generation of sphingolipid species, such as ceramide, also play a role in drug resistance. This may involve an autonomous mechanism, related to direct effects of sphingolipids on the apoptotic response, but also a subtle interplay between sphingolipids and ATP-binding cassette transporters. Here, we present an overview of the current understanding of the multiple levels at which sphingolipids function in drug resistance, with an emphasis on sphingolipid function in neuroblastoma and how modulation of sphingolipid metabolism may be used as a novel treatment paradigm.     

Secondary Alterations of Sphingolipid Metabolism in Lysosomal Storage Diseases

In several neurodegenerative diseases, sphingolipid metabolism is deeply deregulated, leading to the expression of abnormal membrane sphingolipid patterns and altered plasma membrane organization. In this paper, we review the potential importance of these alterations to the pathogenesis of these diseases and focus the reader’s attention on some secondary alterations of sphingolipid metabolism that have been sporadically reported in the literature. Moreover, we present a detailed analysis of the lipid composition of different central nervous system and extraneural tissues from the acid sphingomyelinase-deficient mouse, the animal model for Niemann-Pick disease type A, characterized by the accumulation of sphingomyelin. Our data show an unexpected, tissue specific selection of the accumulated molecular species of sphingomyelin, and an accumulation of GM3 and GM2 gangliosides in both neural and extraneural tissues, that cannot be solely explained by the lack of acid sphingomyelinase.     

An assay system for measuring the acute production of sphingosine 1-phosphate in intact monolayers

Sphingosine kinase (SK) is a signaling enzyme that phosphorylates sphingosine to produce sphingosine 1-phosphate. Sphingosine and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) belong to a class of bioactive sphingolipid metabolites that are critical in a number of cellular processes, yet often have opposing biological functions. The intracellular localization of sphingosine kinase has been demonstrated in multiple studies to be a critical aspect of its signaling function. To date, assays of sphingosine kinase activity have been developed for measuring activity in lysates, where the effects of localization are lost. Here we outline a system in which the rate of production of S1P can be measured in intact cells using exogenously added radiolabeled ATP instead of tritiated sphingosine. The surprising ability of ATP to enter unpermeabilized monolayers is one aspect that makes this assay simple, efficient, and inexpensive, yet sensitive enough to measure endogenous enzyme activity. The assay is well behaved in terms of kinetics and substrate dependence. Overall, this assay is ideal for future studies to identify changes in S1P production in intact cells such as those that result from the differential intracellular targeting of sphingosine kinase.