Premium
Ceramide Modulation of Antigen‐ Triggered Ca 2+ Signals and Cell Fate
Author(s) -
KISS ENDRE,
SÁRMAY GABRIELLA,
MATKÓ JÁNOS
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1196/annals.1378.017
Subject(s) - ceramide , programmed cell death , lipid signaling , microbiology and biotechnology , apoptosis , antigen , biology , signal transduction , immunology , inflammation , biochemistry
Ceramide is a widely accepted mediator of T cell apoptosis and is released upon receiving various death or stress signals. Recently we have shown that the fate of T cells, life or death, depends strictly on the strength and duration of the ceramide‐generating stimulus. Subapoptotic ceramide signals were shown to negatively regulate the antigen‐specific activation signaling in T cells. Here we show that these subapoptotic ceramide signals also inhibit the antigen‐triggered Ca 2+ signals in B lymphocytes or the FcɛRI‐mediated response of mast cells to antigen, but in a differential manner. Burkitt B lymphoma cells, frequently used models of mature B cells, and marginal zone B cells were largely resistant to the inhibitory action of ceramide. The response to cell death–inducing (strong/long duration) ceramide stimuli, resulting in massive apoptosis in T cells, was also differential among the various immunocytes in terms of both the death mechanism and the sensitivity. Our data suggest that ceramide's effects on life and death signaling in immunocytes are cell type‐/stage‐specific.