The dependence of some cell types on serum factors for growth may represent a powerful, but poorly studied, model for antimitogenic pathways. In this study, we examine ceramide as a candidate intracellular mediator of serum factor dependence. In Molt-4 leukemia cells, serum withdrawal caused a significant arrest in cell cycle progression (80% of cells in G0/G1), accompanied by a modest apoptotic cell death (12%). Serum deprivation of these cells resulted in significant sphingomyelin hydrolysis (72%; corresponding to hydrolysis of 47 pmol/nmol phosphate), which was accompanied by a profound and progressive elevation (up to 10-15-fold) in endogenous levels of ceramide. Withdrawal of serum caused the activation of a distinct, particulate, and magnesium-dependent sphingomyelinase. The addition of exogenous C6-ceramide induced a dramatic arrest in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle comparable to the effects observed with serum withdrawal, albeit occurring much sooner. Unlike serum withdrawal, however, the addition of C6-ceramide resulted in more pronounced apoptosis. Because of the previously noted ability of exogenously added phorbol esters to inhibit ceramide-mediated apoptosis, we investigated the hypothesis that endogenous activation of the diacylglycerol/protein kinase C pathway may modulate the response to serum withdrawal. Indeed, serum withdrawal resulted in 3-4-fold elevation in endogenous diacylglycerol levels. The addition of exogenous diacylglycerols resulted in selective attenuation of ceramide's effects on apoptosis but not on cell cycle arrest. Thus, the combination of ceramide and diacylglycerol recapitulated the complex effects of serum withdrawal on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These studies identify a novel role for ceramide in cell cycle regulation, and they may provide the first evidence for an intracellular signal transduction pathway in mammalian cells mediating cell cycle arrest. These studies also underscore the importance of lipid second messengers and the significance of the interplay between glycerolipid-derived and sphingolipid-derived lipid mediators.

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 increased ceramide led to the discovery that neutral sphingomyelinase activity is elevated 8 -10 fold in senescent cells. There were no changes in sphingomyelinase activity or ceramide levels as HDF entered quiescence following serum withdrawal or contact inhibition. Thus, the activation of the sphingomyelinase/ceramide pathway in HDF is due to senescence and supports the hypotheses that senescence represents a distinct program of cell development that can be differentiated from quiescence. Additional studies disclosed the ability of ceramide to induce a senescent phenotype. Thus, when exogenous ceramide (15 M) was administered to young WI-38 HDF, it produced endogenous levels comparable to those observed in senescent cells (as determined by metabolic labeling studies). Ceramide concentrations of 10 -15 M inhibited the growth of young HDF and induced a senescent phenotype by its ability to inhibit DNA synthesis and mitogenesis. These concentrations of ceramide also induced retinoblastoma dephosphorylation and inhibited serum-induced AP-1 activation in young HDF, thus recapitulating basic biochemical and molecular changes of senescence. Sphingomyelinase and ceramide may thus be implicated as mediators of cellular senescence.Cellular senescence is defined as the limited capacity of cells to undergo population doublings (1); consequently, cells have a finite life span beyond which they can no longer proliferate. This finite life span correlates with the age of the organism and with the life expectancy of the species from which the cells were obtained; such that the older the age or the shorter the life span, the less the ability of the cells to undergo population doubling (1).Several important observations have been made in understanding the senescent phenotype. Senescence is a dominant process as demonstrated by cell fusion experiments demonstrating that the resultant heterokaryons have a finite life span (2) and by the presence of factors from senescent cells that inhibit DNA synthesis in young cells (3). Senescence also appears to be an "irreversible" process, although it may be overridden by DNA tumor viruses leading to proliferation (4). Several known biochemical parameters of senescence are beginning to shed light on the underlying mechanisms involved in this developmental program. These include lack of c-fos transcription (5) and AP-1 activation (6), presence of the Rb protein in a predominantly dephosphorylated form (7), and the occurrence of several alterations in cell cycle pr...

Ceramide mediates the effects of extracellular agents on cellular growth, differentiation and apoptosis. In this study, we explored the mechanisms by which ceramide induces its cellular effects. In Molt-4 cells, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) induced retinoblastoma gene product (Rb) phosphorylation, and ceramide inhibited this effect, suggesting an inhibitory effect of ceramide on the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, the primary target of PMA. Molt-4 cells contained primarily PKCalpha and betaII isoforms of PKC. To determine the effects of ceramide on PKC, we developed an immunoprecipitation assay for PKCalpha activity. Exposure of Molt-4 cells to C6-ceramide resulted in a concentration and time-dependent inhibition of immunoprecipitated protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha). Initial inhibition was observed as early as 4.5 h after treatment of cells with C6-ceramide, and the activity was completely lost by 13 h. Inhibition of PKCalpha activity was seen at concentrations of ceramide as low as 5 microM with maximal effects occurring at a concentration of 15 microM. Both C2 and C6-ceramide were inhibitory, but C2 and C6 dihydroceramides were not. Ceramide did not directly inhibit PKCalpha in vitro or modulate the levels of PKCalpha protein, suggesting that ceramide acted indirectly. Moreover, ceramide did not inhibit PMA-induced translocation of PKCalpha. Taken together, these results suggested that ceramide caused inactivation of PKCalpha. Since PKC requires phosphorylation for activity, we determined the effects of ceramide on phosphorylation of PKCalpha. C6-ceramide inhibited basal and PMA-induced phosphorylation of PKCalpha. In addition, okadaic acid, a potent phosphatase inhibitor, slightly stimulated PKC activity and blocked the effects of ceramide on PKCalpha inhibition. These results demonstrate that ceramide causes inhibition/inactivation of PKCalpha and suggest these effects of ceramide may be mediated by a protein phosphatase.