D-erythro-Dihydrosphingosine

This product is the natural D-erythro isomer of dihydrosphingosine. Sphinganine (dihydrosphingosine) is the precursor of dihydroceramide which is then desaturated to form ceramide. It is a critical intermediate in the synthesis of many complex sphingoid bases and ceramide analogs. It has been found that sphinganine can induce cell death in a number of types of malignant cells and is being tested for its pharmacological properties.1 Inhibition of dihydroceramide synthesis by some fungal toxins that have a similar structure causes an increase in sphinganine and sphinganine-1-phosphate and a decrease in other sphingolipids leading to a number of diseases including oesophageal cancer.2 Sphinganine has been found to mediate fumonisin (a toxic sphinganine analog) induced hypotension.3 Yeasts contain mainly the saturated C18 base sphinganine rather than the unsaturated C18 base sphingosine which is common in animals.