Biosynthesis of ceramide pools with specific structure in plants and fungi

• Applicant: Dr. Philipp Ternes
• Subject Area: Plant Biochemistry and Biophysics
• Term: from 2008 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 69978084

As for all eukaryotic organisms, sphingolipids are essential for plants and fungi. While most information on sphingolipid functions originally came from studies on mammalian cells and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, vital functions have recently been discovered also in plants and in additional fungi. Because sphingolipid structures are very different in plants, fungi, and animals, findings from S. cerevisiae or mammalian cells cannot be easily extrapolated to other experimental systems. This calls for dedicated research on sphingolipid biosynthesis and functions in plants and fungi. Ceramides form the hydrophobic core of all sphingolipids and therefore have a central position in sphingolipid biosynthesis. In addition, they are signaling molecules in their own right. In plants and fungi, different sphingolipid classes differ in their ceramide backbone structure. This project will investigate whether plants and fungi have structurally distinct ceramide pools that serve as substrates for the biosynthesis of the different sphingolipid classes. It will be tested whether different isozymes of ceramide synthase, the enzyme producing ceramide, are responsible for the specific biosynthesis of these ceramide pools. These biochemical investigations will provide the basis for future studies on the functions of individual ceramide pools.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Howard Riezman