Up-regulation of ceramide glucosyltransferase during the differentiation of U937 cells

作者：Aida Junya; Higuchi Syouta; Hasegawa Yoshie; Nagano Ito Michiyo; Hirabayashi Yoshio; Banba Aoi; Shimizu Takamitsu; Kikuchi Asako; Saga Mayuko; Ichikawa Shinichi^*

来源：Journal of Biochemistry, 2011, 150(3): 303-310.

DOI：10.1093/jb/mvr058

• adhesion
• ceramide
• differentiation
• glucosylceramide
• leukaemia

The phorbol ester tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) induces promyelocytic leukaemia cells to differentiate to macrophage-like cells in vitro. During the course of this differentiation, the cells adhere to the bottom of the culture dish, a process that requires an increase in cell surface glycosphingolipids (GSLs). We examined the cellular content of glucosylceramide (GlcCer), the simplest of the GSLs, in a TPA-treated leukaemia cell line, U937. Following TPA treatment, we observed a 3.5-fold increase in GlcCer levels that was caused by enhanced activity of ceramide glucosyltransferase (GlcT-1), which catalyses ceramide glycosylation. Furthermore, in TPA-treated cell GlcT-1 amounts were increased at both the mRNA and protein levels. We also found decreased activity of lactosylceramide synthase in TPA-treated cells, which could also contribute to the increase in cellular GlcCer content.

• 出版日期2011-9