Sphingolipid metabolism in organotypic mouse keratinocyte cultures

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/1523-1747.ep12514333· OSTI ID:6274922

Madison, K C; Swartzendruber, D C; Wertz, P W; Downing, D T ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City (USA)

Ceramides are the dominant component of the stratum corneum intercellular lipid lamellae, which constitute the epidermal permeability barrier. Only pig and human epidermal ceramides have been extensively characterized and the structures of the ceramides of cultured keratinocytes have not been previously investigated. In the present studies, we have characterized the ceramides synthesized by organotypic lifted mouse keratinocyte cultures for the first time and compared them to the ceramides of intact mouse epidermis. Both mouse epidermis and cultures contained five ceramides, ceramide 1 being the least polar and ceramide 5 the most polar. Ceramide 1 was a group of acylceramides, i.e., very-long-chain omega-hydroxyceramides with an ester-linked nonhydroxy fatty acid. Ceramide 2 contained medium-length saturated nonhydroxy fatty acids. (In culture, the ceramide 2 band was split into two parts with the slightly more polar ceramide 2' containing short-chain saturated nonhydroxy fatty acids.) Ceramide 5 contained short-chain alpha-hydroxy fatty acids. The structures of ceramides 1, 2, and 5 were analagous to those of pig and human epidermis. Mouse epidermal ceramide 3 was quite unusual, containing beta-hydroxy fatty acids, a structure not previously identified among mammalian ceramides. In contrast, culture ceramide 3 was composed of omega-hydroxy fatty acids with a chain-length distribution similar to that of ceramide 1. Mouse ceramide 4 was composed of fatty acids with chromatographic mobility similar to hydroxy fatty acids but with different chemical reactivity; it remains only partially characterized. Culture ceramide 4 was present in quantities too small for analysis. All ceramides in mouse epidermis and cultures contained only sphingosine bases, whereas pig and human ceramides also contain phytosphingosine.

• OSTI ID: 6274922
• Journal Information: Journal of Investigative Dermatology; (USA), Vol. 95:6; ISSN 0022-202X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CELL MEMBRANES
PERMEABILITY
LIPIDS
METABOLISM
ANIMAL CELLS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
CARBON ISOTOPES
CELL CULTURES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EPIDERMIS
MAN
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
SERINE
SWINE
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
EPITHELIUM
HYDROXY ACIDS
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MEMBRANES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PRIMATES
SKIN
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
550501* - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques