Role of ceramide in neuronal cell death and differentiation.

Ceramide is a sphingolipid metabolite that has been implicated in cellular apoptosis and differentiation. It has been shown to induce apoptosis in various mammalian cell lines and, more recently, has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis. Although the mechanisms of ceramide-induced cell death have not been fully elucidated, they appear to involve a number of signal transduction pathways, including proline-directed kinases, phosphatases, phospholipases, transcription factors, and caspases. Interestingly, ceramide also appears to promote survival and differentiation in certain neuronal systems, when applied at lower concentrations and/or at different developmental stages. Together, studies to date indicate an important multipotential role for this lipid in cell death and differentiation.