CERAMIDE AND THE REGULATION OF APOPTOSIS AND THE STRESS-RESPONSE

The process of apoptosis or programmed cell death has been the subject of intense study due to the realization of its importance in a wide v ariety of biological and pathological conditions, including developmen t, ischemia, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Although a vast n umber of inducers of this process and several critical components have been identified, the signal transduction pathways regulating apoptosi s ave poorly understood. Recently, a pathway involving sphingolipid tu rnover and the production of the lipid mediator ceramide, has emerged as a candidate regulator of apoptosis. This review provides a summary of the evidence implicating ceramide as a mediator of apoptosis and th e stress response.