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Dubot P, Sabourdy F, Levade T. Human genetic defects of sphingolipid synthesis. J Inherit Metab Dis 2024. [PMID: 38706107 DOI: 10.1002/jimd.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Sphingolipids are ubiquitous lipids, present in the membranes of all cell types, the stratum corneum and the circulating lipoproteins. Autosomal recessive as well as dominant diseases due to disturbed sphingolipid biosynthesis have been identified, including defects in the synthesis of ceramides, sphingomyelins and glycosphingolipids. In many instances, these gene variants result in the loss of catalytic function of the mutated enzymes. Additional gene defects implicate the subcellular localization of the sphingolipid-synthesizing enzyme, the regulation of its activity, or even the function of a sphingolipid-transporter protein. The resulting metabolic alterations lead to two major, non-exclusive types of clinical manifestations: a neurological disease, more or less rapidly progressive, associated or not with intellectual disability, and an ichthyotic-type skin disorder. These phenotypes highlight the critical importance of sphingolipids in brain and skin development and homeostasis. The present article reviews the clinical symptoms, genetic and biochemical alterations, pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic options of this relatively novel group of metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Dubot
- Unité Mixte de Recherche INSERM 1037, CNRS 5071, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France
- Centre de Recherches, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Frédérique Sabourdy
- Unité Mixte de Recherche INSERM 1037, CNRS 5071, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Thierry Levade
- Unité Mixte de Recherche INSERM 1037, CNRS 5071, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, Centre de Recherches en Cancérologie de Toulouse (CRCT), Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, Institut Fédératif de Biologie, CHU Purpan, Toulouse, France
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Downregulation of ceramide synthase 1 promotes oral cancer through endoplasmic reticulum stress. Int J Oral Sci 2021; 13:10. [PMID: 33753723 PMCID: PMC7985500 DOI: 10.1038/s41368-021-00118-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
C18 ceramide plays an important role in the occurrence and development of oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, the function of ceramide synthase 1, a key enzyme in C18 ceramide synthesis, in oral squamous cell carcinoma is still unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between ceramide synthase 1 and oral cancer. In this study, we found that the expression of ceramide synthase 1 was downregulated in oral cancer tissues and cell lines. In a mouse oral squamous cell carcinoma model induced by 4-nitroquinolin-1-oxide, ceramide synthase 1 knockout was associated with the severity of oral malignant transformation. Immunohistochemical studies showed significant upregulation of PCNA, MMP2, MMP9, and BCL2 expression and downregulation of BAX expression in the pathological hyperplastic area. In addition, ceramide synthase 1 knockdown promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Overexpression of CERS1 obtained the opposite effect. Ceramide synthase 1 knockdown caused endoplasmic reticulum stress and induced the VEGFA upregulation. Activating transcription factor 4 is responsible for ceramide synthase 1 knockdown caused VEGFA transcriptional upregulation. In addition, mild endoplasmic reticulum stress caused by ceramide synthase 1 knockdown could induce cisplatin resistance. Taken together, our study suggests that ceramide synthase 1 is downregulated in oral cancer and promotes the aggressiveness of oral squamous cell carcinoma and chemotherapeutic drug resistance.
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Inherited monogenic defects of ceramide metabolism: Molecular bases and diagnoses. Clin Chim Acta 2019; 495:457-466. [PMID: 31128082 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ceramides are membrane lipids implicated in the regulation of numerous biological functions. Recent evidence suggests that specific subsets of molecular species of ceramide may play distinct physiological roles. The importance of this family of molecules in vertebrates is witnessed by the deleterious consequences of genetic alterations in ceramide metabolism. This brief review summarizes the clinical presentation of human disorders due to the deficiency of enzymes involved either in the biosynthesis or the degradation of ceramides. Information on the possible underlying pathophysiological mechanisms is also provided, based on knowledge gathered from animal models of these inherited rare conditions. When appropriate, tools for chemical and molecular diagnosis of these disorders and therapeutic options are also presented.
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Karsai G, Kraft F, Haag N, Korenke GC, Hänisch B, Othman A, Suriyanarayanan S, Steiner R, Knopp C, Mull M, Bergmann M, Schröder JM, Weis J, Elbracht M, Begemann M, Hornemann T, Kurth I. DEGS1-associated aberrant sphingolipid metabolism impairs nervous system function in humans. J Clin Invest 2019; 129:1229-1239. [PMID: 30620338 DOI: 10.1172/jci124159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sphingolipids are important components of cellular membranes and functionally associated with fundamental processes such as cell differentiation, neuronal signaling, and myelin sheath formation. Defects in the synthesis or degradation of sphingolipids leads to various neurological pathologies; however, the entire spectrum of sphingolipid metabolism disorders remains elusive. METHODS A combined approach of genomics and lipidomics was applied to identify and characterize a human sphingolipid metabolism disorder. RESULTS By whole-exome sequencing in a patient with a multisystem neurological disorder of both the central and peripheral nervous systems, we identified a homozygous p.Ala280Val variant in DEGS1, which catalyzes the last step in the ceramide synthesis pathway. The blood sphingolipid profile in the patient showed a significant increase in dihydro sphingolipid species that was further recapitulated in patient-derived fibroblasts, in CRISPR/Cas9-derived DEGS1-knockout cells, and by pharmacological inhibition of DEGS1. The enzymatic activity in patient fibroblasts was reduced by 80% compared with wild-type cells, which was in line with a reduced expression of mutant DEGS1 protein. Moreover, an atypical and potentially neurotoxic sphingosine isomer was identified in patient plasma and in cells expressing mutant DEGS1. CONCLUSION We report DEGS1 dysfunction as the cause of a sphingolipid disorder with hypomyelination and degeneration of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. TRIAL REGISTRATION Not applicable. FUNDING Seventh Framework Program of the European Commission, Swiss National Foundation, Rare Disease Initiative Zurich.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Karsai
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Florian Kraft
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Natja Haag
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - G Christoph Korenke
- Clinic for Neuropediatrics and Congenital Metabolic Diseases, University Clinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Hänisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alaa Othman
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Saranya Suriyanarayanan
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Regula Steiner
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Cordula Knopp
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Michael Mull
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Markus Bergmann
- Institute for Neuropathology, Hospital Bremen-Mitte, Bremen, Germany
| | - J Michael Schröder
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Joachim Weis
- Institute of Neuropathology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Miriam Elbracht
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Begemann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Hornemann
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute for Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ingo Kurth
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Goins L, Spassieva S. Sphingoid bases and their involvement in neurodegenerative diseases. Adv Biol Regul 2018; 70:65-73. [PMID: 30377075 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Sphingoid bases (also known as long-chain bases) form the backbone of sphingolipids. Sphingolipids comprise a large group of lipid molecules, which function as the building blocks of biological membranes and play important signaling and regulatory roles within cells. The roles of sphingoid bases in neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration have yet to be fully elucidated, as they are complex and multi-faceted. This comprises a new frontier of research that may provide us with important clues regarding their involvement in neurological health and disease. This paper explores various neurological diseases and conditions which result when the metabolism of sphingoid bases and some of their derivatives, such as sphingosine-1-phosphate and psychosine, becomes compromised due to the inhibition or mutation of key enzymes. Dysregulation of sphingoid base metabolism very often manifests with neurological symptoms, as sphingolipids are highly enriched in the nervous system, where they play important signaling and regulatory roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Goins
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Stefka Spassieva
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
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Olsen ASB, Færgeman NJ. Sphingolipids: membrane microdomains in brain development, function and neurological diseases. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170069. [PMID: 28566300 PMCID: PMC5451547 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sphingolipids are highly enriched in the nervous system where they are pivotal constituents of the plasma membranes and are important for proper brain development and functions. Sphingolipids are not merely structural elements, but are also recognized as regulators of cellular events by their ability to form microdomains in the plasma membrane. The significance of such compartmentalization spans broadly from being involved in differentiation of neurons and synaptic transmission to neuronal–glial interactions and myelin stability. Thus, perturbations of the sphingolipid metabolism can lead to rearrangements in the plasma membrane, which has been linked to the development of various neurological diseases. Studying microdomains and their functions has for a long time been synonymous with studying the role of cholesterol. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that microdomains are very heterogeneous, which among others can be ascribed to the vast number of sphingolipids. In this review, we discuss the importance of microdomains with emphasis on sphingolipids in brain development and function as well as how disruption of the sphingolipid metabolism (and hence microdomains) contributes to the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne S B Olsen
- Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Nils J Færgeman
- Villum Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
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Sociale M, Wulf AL, Breiden B, Klee K, Thielisch M, Eckardt F, Sellin J, Bülow MH, Löbbert S, Weinstock N, Voelzmann A, Schultze J, Sandhoff K, Bauer R. Ceramide Synthase Schlank Is a Transcriptional Regulator Adapting Gene Expression to Energy Requirements. Cell Rep 2018; 22:967-978. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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