Biomaterial Database

Synthesis of ceramides and cerebrosides containing both alpha-hydroxy and nonhydroxy fatty acids from lignoceroyl-CoA by rat brain microsomes. 1979

H Akanuma, and Y Kishimoto

The conversion of [1-14C]lignoceroyl-CoA to nonhydroxy- and alpha-hydroxyceramides and cerebrosides by brain microsomes of developing rat in the presence of NADPH was investigated. A new technique of thin layer chromatography for the separation of these lipids and unreacted substrate was developed for this assay. The synthesis of nonhydroxy- and hydroxyceramides was significantly stimulated by the addition of heat-stable factor, a factor which is essential in the alpha-hydroxylation of free lignoceric acid (I. Singh and Y. Kishimoto, manuscript in preparation). The addition of sphingosine also stimulated the ceramide synthesis to a great extent. When the microsomes or heat-stable factor were crude, the ceramides formed were further converted to cerebrosides, apparently by UDP-galactose contamination. The purification of these subcellular components resulted in the formation of only ceramides which, in turn, were converted to cerebrosides by the addition of UDP-galactose. These observations indicate that hydroxyceramide is the precursor of hydroxycerebroside and is formed by alpha-hydroxylation of lignoceroyl-CoA and N-acylation of sphingosine. However, lignoceroyl-CoA, like free lignoceric acid, does not appear to be the immediate substrate of the alpha-hydroxylation.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008861	Microsomes	Artifactual vesicles formed from the endoplasmic reticulum when cells are disrupted. They are isolated by differential centrifugation and are composed of three structural features: rough vesicles, smooth vesicles, and ribosomes. Numerous enzyme activities are associated with the microsomal fraction. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990; from Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed)	Microsome
D008928	Mitochondria	Semiautonomous, self-reproducing organelles that occur in the cytoplasm of all cells of most, but not all, eukaryotes. Each mitochondrion is surrounded by a double limiting membrane. The inner membrane is highly invaginated, and its projections are called cristae. Mitochondria are the sites of the reactions of oxidative phosphorylation, which result in the formation of ATP. They contain distinctive RIBOSOMES, transfer RNAs (RNA, TRANSFER); AMINO ACYL T RNA SYNTHETASES; and elongation and termination factors. Mitochondria depend upon genes within the nucleus of the cells in which they reside for many essential messenger RNAs (RNA, MESSENGER). Mitochondria are believed to have arisen from aerobic bacteria that established a symbiotic relationship with primitive protoeukaryotes. (King & Stansfield, A Dictionary of Genetics, 4th ed)	Mitochondrial Contraction,Mitochondrion,Contraction, Mitochondrial,Contractions, Mitochondrial,Mitochondrial Contractions
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D002518	Ceramides	Members of the class of neutral glycosphingolipids. They are the basic units of SPHINGOLIPIDS. They are sphingoids attached via their amino groups to a long chain fatty acyl group. They abnormally accumulate in FABRY DISEASE.	Ceramide
D002554	Cerebrosides	Neutral glycosphingolipids that contain a monosaccharide, normally glucose or galactose, in 1-ortho-beta-glycosidic linkage with the primary alcohol of an N-acyl sphingoid (ceramide). In plants the monosaccharide is normally glucose and the sphingoid usually phytosphingosine. In animals, the monosaccharide is usually galactose, though this may vary with the tissue and the sphingoid is usually sphingosine or dihydrosphingosine. (From Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1st ed)
D003600	Cytosol	Intracellular fluid from the cytoplasm after removal of ORGANELLES and other insoluble cytoplasmic components.	Cytosols
D005227	Fatty Acids	Organic, monobasic acids derived from hydrocarbons by the equivalent of oxidation of a methyl group to an alcohol, aldehyde, and then acid. Fatty acids are saturated and unsaturated (FATTY ACIDS, UNSATURATED). (Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed)	Aliphatic Acid,Esterified Fatty Acid,Fatty Acid,Fatty Acids, Esterified,Fatty Acids, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acid,Aliphatic Acids,Acid, Aliphatic,Acid, Esterified Fatty,Acid, Saturated Fatty,Esterified Fatty Acids,Fatty Acid, Esterified,Fatty Acid, Saturated,Saturated Fatty Acids
D006880	Hydroxy Acids	Organic compounds containing both the hydroxyl and carboxyl radicals.	Hydroxy Acid,Acid, Hydroxy,Acids, Hydroxy
D006900	Hydroxylation	Placing of a hydroxyl group on a compound in a position where one did not exist before. (Stedman, 26th ed)	Hydroxylations