Ceramide kinases convert the sphingolipid metabolite ceramide into ceramide-1-phosphate, both key mediators of cellular apoptosis and survival. Ceramide metabolism plays an essential role in the viability of neuronal cells, the membranes of which are particularly rich in sphingolipids. CERK catalyzes specifically the phosphorylation of ceramide to form ceramide 1-phosphate. This enzyme acts efficiently on natural and analog ceramides (C6, C8, C16 ceramides, and C8 dihydroceramide), and to a lesser extent on C2-ceramide and C6-dihydroceramide, but not on other lipids, such as various sphingosines. High level expression is noted in heart, brain, skeletal muscle, kidney and liver; moderate expression in peripheral blood leukocytes and thymus; and low expression in spleen, small intestine, placenta and lung.
Function:
Catalyzes specifically the phosphorylation of ceramide to form ceramide 1-phosphate. Acts efficiently on natural and analog ceramides (C6, C8, C16 ceramides, and C8-dihydroceramide), to a lesser extent on C2-ceramide and C6-dihydroceramide, but not on other lipids, such as various sphingosines. Binds phosphoinositides.
Subcellular Location:
Cytoplasm. Membrane; Peripheral membrane protein.
Tissue Specificity:
High level expression in heart, brain, skeletal muscle, kidney and liver; moderate in peripheral blood leukocytes and thymus; very low in spleen, small intestine, placenta and lung.
Similarity:
Contains 1 DAGKc domain.
SWISS:
Q8TCT0
Gene ID:
64781
Database links:
Entrez Gene: 64781 Human
Entrez Gene: 223753 Mouse
Entrez Gene: 300129 Rat
Omim: 610307 Human
SwissProt: Q8TCT0 Human
SwissProt: Q8K4Q7 Mouse
Unigene: 200668 Human
Unigene: 222685 Mouse
Unigene: 99537 Rat
|
|
