Anti-CERS3 monoclonal antibody Made to order

Ceramide and more complex sphingolipids constitute a diverse group of lipids that serve important roles as structural entities of biological membranes and as regulators of cellular growth, differentiation, and development. Thus, ceramides are vital players in numerous diseases including metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as neurological disorders. Here we show that acyl-coenzyme A-binding protein (ACBP) potently facilitates very-long acyl chain ceramide synthesis. ACBP increases the activity of ceramide synthase 2 (CerS2) by more than 2-fold and CerS3 activity by 7-fold. ACBP binds very-long-chain acyl-CoA esters, which is required for its ability to stimulate CerS activity. We also show that high-speed liver cytosol from wild-type mice activates CerS3 activity, whereas cytosol from ACBP knock-out mice does not. Consistently, CerS2 and CerS3 activities are significantly reduced in the testes of ACBP(-/-) mice, concomitant with a significant reduction in long- and very-long-chain ceramide levels. Importantly, we show that ACBP interacts with CerS2 and CerS3. Our data uncover a novel mode of regulation of very-long acyl chain ceramide synthesis by ACBP, which we anticipate is of crucial importance in understanding the regulation of ceramide metabolism in pathogenesis.

Research on the molecular genetics and pathomechanisms of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) has advanced considerably and several causative genes and molecules underlying the disease have been identified. Three major ARCI phenotypes are harlequin ichthyosis (HI), lamellar ichthyosis (LI), and congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma (CIE): Skin barrier defects are involved in the pathogenesis of ARCI. In this review, the causative genes of ARCI and its phenotypes as well as recent advances in the field are summarized. The known causative molecules underlying ARCI include ABCA12, TGM1, ALOXE3, ALOX12B, NIPAL4, CYP4F22, PNPLA1, CERS3, and LIPN. It is important to examine genetic associations and to elucidate the pathomechanisms of ARCI to establish effective therapies and beneficial genetic counseling. Next-generation sequencing is a promising method that enables the detection of causative disease mutations, even in cases of unexpected concomitant genetic diseases. For genetic diagnosis, obtaining mRNA from hair follicle epithelial cells, which are analogous to keratinocytes in the interfollicular epidermis, is convenient and minimally invasive in patients with ARCI. We confirmed that our mRNA analysis method using hair follicle samples can be applied not only to keratinization disorders, but also to other genetic diseases in the dermatology field. Studies that suggest potential next-generation therapies using ARCI model mice are also reviewed. (C) 2015 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.