C17 Ceramide is a synthetic ceramide that contains a non-natural C17:0 fatty acid acylated to sphingosine. It has been used as a marker of arylsulfatase A and sphingolipid activator B activity in patients undergoing enzyme replacement therapy for the genetic disease metachromatic leukodystrophy.
C6 L-erythro Ceramide is a bioactive sphingolipid and cell-permeable analog of naturally occurring ceramides. It is metabolized by ceramide glucosyltransferase to form C6 L-erythro glucosylceramide. C6 L-erythro Ceramide is cytotoxic to U937 cells (IC50 = 18 μM).
C8 D-threo Ceramide is a bioactive sphingolipid and cell-permeable analog of naturally occurring ceramides. It is cytotoxic to U937 cells (IC50 = 17 μM) and induces nuclear DNA fragmentation 5- to 6-fold more potently than C8 ceramide . C8 D-threo Ceramide is a substrate for E. coli diacylglycerol kinase. It activates ceramide-activated protein kinase (CAPK) in U937 cells. C8 D-threo Ceramide also enhances V. cholerae cytolysin pore formation in liposome lipid membranes, as measured by calcein release, with a 50% release dose (RD50) value of ~5 μg ml.
Ceramide phosphoethanolamine (CPE) is an analog of sphingomyelin that contains ethanolamine rather than choline as the head group. It is the principal membrane phospholipid in invertebrates such as Drosophila, which lacks sphingomyelin. It is only produced in small amounts in mammalian cells, accounting for approximately 0.02 mol% of total phospholipids in mouse testis and brain. In Drosophila, CPE is biosynthesized by CPE synthase from ceramide and cytidine diphosphate-ethanolamine in the Golgi lumen. In mammals, it is biosynthesized by sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2) in the plasma membrane and by sphingomyelin synthase-related protein (SMSr) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In Drosophila, CPE has a role in glial ensheathment of axons. Disrupting CPE synthesis by depleting SMSr in vitro in mammalian cells leads to an accumulation of ER ceramides, which are then mislocalized to the mitochondria, inducing apoptosis. However, ceramide levels are not altered in transgenic mice lacking SMSr catalytic activity. CPEs (bovine) is a mixture of CPEs with variable N-acyl chain lengths.
C4 Ceramide is a bioactive sphingolipid and cell-permeable analog of naturally occurring ceramides. [1] [2] [3] It inhibits IL-4 production by 16% in EL4 T cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate when used at a concentration of 10 μM. [1] C4 Ceramide is cytotoxic to SK-BR-3 and MCF-7 Adr breast cancer cells (IC50s = 15.9 and 19.9 μM, respectively). [2] C4 Ceramide also increases maturation and stability of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) proteins bearing the F508 deletion (F508del) mutation, enhances cAMP-activated chloride secretion, and suppresses secretion of IL-8 in primary epithelial cells isolated from patients with cystic fibrosis.[3]