Purification and biochemical characterization of a second type of neutral ceramidase from camel (Camelus dromedarius) brain

Volume :  8 Issue :1 (2015) HMJ

 

Shahanus Chathoth, Faisal Thayyullathil, Alaa Galadari, Mahendra Patel and Sehamuddin Galadari

Cell signaling laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine & Health Sciences, UAE University, Al Ain, UAE

The enzyme called Ceramidase from camel brain is very important for regulating cellular metabolic processes.  This is the second such enzyme that has been isolated from camel brain.  Brain is essentially composed of fat molecules called “lipids” and ceramidases control the production of biologically active forms of lipids in the brain.  These enzymes are important in many critical cellular processes that control cell growth and aging such as stress response, cell differentiation, and regulation of cell cycle, senescence, and cell death.  Since each ceramidase enzyme has its own set of characteristics, it makes them important for the study of these critical cellular functions. More importantly, due to the ability of ceramidases to control cell growth and death, ceramidases are being targeted as a potential target for cancer therapy.  Purification and characterization of a new ceramidase from a yet understudied regional mammal is an important step forward in our understanding in the regulation of cellular metabolic processes.