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Distribution and properties of neutral ceramidase activity in rat intestinal tract

Lundgren, Pia ; Nilsson, Åke LU and Duan, Rui-Dong LU (2001) In Digestive Diseases and Sciences 46(4). p.765-772
Abstract
Ceramide plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. Recent studies indicate that generation of ceramide in the intestine from sphingomyelin hydrolysis may be implicated in colon cancer development. The enzymes that catalyze the further hydrolysis of ceramide in the intestine have, however, not been well investigated. Our data reveal the existence of a ceramidase (EC 3.5.1.23) in rat intestinal mucosa with an optimal pH of 7.0. One milligram of mucosal protein is able to hydrolyze 44.0 ± 9.6 nmol of ceramide in 1 hr. The activity is low in the proximal duodenum and increases to a plateau in the proximal jejunum. The activity is then similar throughout the small intestine, until it declines in the distal part of... (More)
Ceramide plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. Recent studies indicate that generation of ceramide in the intestine from sphingomyelin hydrolysis may be implicated in colon cancer development. The enzymes that catalyze the further hydrolysis of ceramide in the intestine have, however, not been well investigated. Our data reveal the existence of a ceramidase (EC 3.5.1.23) in rat intestinal mucosa with an optimal pH of 7.0. One milligram of mucosal protein is able to hydrolyze 44.0 ± 9.6 nmol of ceramide in 1 hr. The activity is low in the proximal duodenum and increases to a plateau in the proximal jejunum. The activity is then similar throughout the small intestine, until it declines in the distal part of ileum. Some activity is also detectable in the colon. The activity increases slightly in the presence of monomeric bile salt concentrations and sharply at the critical micellar concentration. Similar patterns were observed for both primary (taurocholate) and secondary (taurodeoxycholate) bile salts. The addition of Triton X-100 enhances the ceramidase activity at optimal bile salt concentration. The reaction is linear with time for the first 20 min and the hydrolytic rate declines slowly thereafter. Finally, the activity shows a considerable resistance against tryptic degradation, as 71% of the ceramidase activity remained when the homogenates were preincubated with high concentrations of trypsin. Intestinal mucosa also has a ceramide synthesis activity, with a distribution pattern generally paralleling ceramide hydrolysis activity. In conclusion, intestinal neutral ceramidase has a distinct distribution pattern and bile salt dependence, which enables it to collaborate with intestinal sphingomyelinase in hydrolysis of sphingomyelin. (Less)
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author
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Digestive Diseases and Sciences
volume
46
issue
4
pages
8 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0035027916
DOI
10.1023/A:1010792031910
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
adb62182-e085-4a00-8e35-5b4f0f2e7220
date added to LUP
2019-02-03 17:13:00
date last changed
2024-01-15 13:36:16
@article{adb62182-e085-4a00-8e35-5b4f0f2e7220,
  abstract     = {{Ceramide plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. Recent studies indicate that generation of ceramide in the intestine from sphingomyelin hydrolysis may be implicated in colon cancer development. The enzymes that catalyze the further hydrolysis of ceramide in the intestine have, however, not been well investigated. Our data reveal the existence of a ceramidase (EC 3.5.1.23) in rat intestinal mucosa with an optimal pH of 7.0. One milligram of mucosal protein is able to hydrolyze 44.0 ± 9.6 nmol of ceramide in 1 hr. The activity is low in the proximal duodenum and increases to a plateau in the proximal jejunum. The activity is then similar throughout the small intestine, until it declines in the distal part of ileum. Some activity is also detectable in the colon. The activity increases slightly in the presence of monomeric bile salt concentrations and sharply at the critical micellar concentration. Similar patterns were observed for both primary (taurocholate) and secondary (taurodeoxycholate) bile salts. The addition of Triton X-100 enhances the ceramidase activity at optimal bile salt concentration. The reaction is linear with time for the first 20 min and the hydrolytic rate declines slowly thereafter. Finally, the activity shows a considerable resistance against tryptic degradation, as 71% of the ceramidase activity remained when the homogenates were preincubated with high concentrations of trypsin. Intestinal mucosa also has a ceramide synthesis activity, with a distribution pattern generally paralleling ceramide hydrolysis activity. In conclusion, intestinal neutral ceramidase has a distinct distribution pattern and bile salt dependence, which enables it to collaborate with intestinal sphingomyelinase in hydrolysis of sphingomyelin.}},
  author       = {{Lundgren, Pia and Nilsson, Åke and Duan, Rui-Dong}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{765--772}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Digestive Diseases and Sciences}},
  title        = {{Distribution and properties of neutral ceramidase activity in rat intestinal tract}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1010792031910}},
  doi          = {{10.1023/A:1010792031910}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}