N-Hexadecanoyl-D-erythro-sphingosine (C16 sphingolipid base)

N-Hexadecanoyl-D-erythro-C16-sphingosine is a well-defined ceramide and is ideal for use as a standard and in biological systems1. This product has the C16 sphingoid base, which is less prevalent than the C18 base in most plants and animals, making it very useful in determining sphingosine metabolism and derivatives and as an internal standard.2 Hexadecanoyl ceramide comprises a significant amount of natural ceramides, often being the second most abundant species after C18:0- ceramide. Ceramides function as a precursor in the synthesis of sphingomyelin, glycosphingolipids, and of free sphingosine and fatty acids. The sphingosine can be phosphorylated to form sphingosine-1-phosphate. Two of ceramide’s metabolites, sphingosine-1-phosphate and glucosylceramide, produce cell proliferation and other cellular functions.3 Ceramide exerts numerous biological effects, including induction of cell maturation, cell cycle arrest, terminal cell differentiation, cell senescence, and cell death.4 Because of these effects ceramide has been investigated for its use in cancer treatment and many potential approaches to cancer therapy have been presented.5 Other effects include producing reactive oxygen in mitochondria (followed by apoptosis) and stimulating phosphorylation of certain proteins (especially mitogen activated protein). It also stimulates some protein phosphatases (especially protein phosphatase 2A) making it an important controller of protein activity.