Sphingolipid signaling in gonadal development and function

Sphingolipid second messengers, such as ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphat e, signal proliferation, differentiation and death in mammalian cells. The object of this article is to highlight the potential impact of this new inf ormation on the study of female and male gonadal development and function. Since the generation of competent gametes by both sexes is precisely regula ted by maturational (meiotic) and apoptotic (quality-control) checkpoints, it is proposed that lipid signaling molecules serve as important contributo rs to the regulation of gametogenesis. The function of sphingolipid molecul es in mediating stress- or damage-induced apoptosis in the germ line, an ev ent most-likely associated with impaired gonadal function and infertility, is also discussed. Collectively, these areas represent exciting research di rections that may ultimately lead to the development of new therapeutics to coordinate and control fertility in males and females. (C) 1999 Elsevier S cience Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.