Regulation and traffic of ceramide 1-phosphate produced by ceramide kinase: comparative analysis to glucosylceramide and sphingomyelin.

Ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) has been characterized as a sphingolipid that participates in cell signaling. Although C1P synthesis is thought to occur via phosphorylation of ceramide by ceramide kinase (CerK), the processes that regulate C1P formation and fate remain largely unknown. In this study we analyzed bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) from CerK-null mice (Cerk(-/-)) and found significant levels of C1P, suggesting that previously unrecognized pathways may also lead to C1P formation.