[HTML][HTML] Role of ceramide in cellular senescence (∗)

ME Venable, JY Lee, MJ Smyth, A Bielawska… - Journal of Biological …, 1995 - ASBMB
Recently the sphingomyelin cycle, involving the hydrolysis of membrane sphingomyelin by
an activated sphingomyelinase to generate ceramide, has emerged as a key pathway in cell
differentiation and apoptosis in leukemic and other cell types. Here we investigate a role for
this pathway in the senescence of WI-38 human diploid fibroblasts (HDF). We found that
endogenous levels of ceramide increased considerably (4-fold) and specifically (compared
with other lipids) as cells entered the senescent phase. Investigation of the mechanism of …