文章基本信息

标题：Ceramide synthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum can permeabilize mitochondria to proapoptotic proteins
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作者：Johnny Stiban ; Laura Caputo ; Marco Colombini 等
期刊名称：JLR Papers In Press
印刷版ISSN：0022-2275
电子版ISSN：1539-7262
出版年度：2008
卷号：49
期号：3
页码：625-634
DOI：10.1194/jlr.M700480-JLR200
语种：English
出版社：American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
摘要：Increased mitochondrial ceramide levels are associated with the initiation of apoptosis. There is evidence that ceramide is causal. Thus, the conversion of the precursor, dihydroceramide, to ceramide by the enzyme dihydroceramide desaturase may be important in preparing the cell for apoptosis. Ceramide can initiate apoptosis by permeabilizing the mitochondrial outer membrane to apoptosis-inducing proteins. However, the mitochondrion's ability to produce ceramide may be limited by its proteome. Here, we show that ceramide synthesized in isolated mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) vesicles from either C₈-dihydroceramide or sphingosine to produce long-chain ceramide can transfer to isolated mitochondria. The rate of transfer is consistent with a simple collision model. The transfer of the long-chain ceramide is faster than expected for an uncatalyzed process. Sufficient ceramide is transferred to permeabilize the outer membrane to cytochrome c and adenylate kinase. The mitochondria-associated membranes, ER-like membranes that are tightly associated with isolated mitochondria, can produce enough ceramide to permeabilize the outer membrane transiently. Thus, this ceramide exchange obviates the need for a complete ceramide de novo pathway in mitochondria to increase ceramide levels to the critical value required for functional changes, such as ceramide channel self-assembly followed by protein release.