The activation of sphingomyelinase and generation of ceramide have been implicated as
important regulatory pathways in cell growth and apoptosis. Bacterial sphingomyelinase has
been used in many cell systems to mimic the activation of endogenous sphingomyelinase.
These studies, however, have been complicated by the inability of exogenously applied
bacterial sphingomyelinase to perform many of the effects of short chain cell permeable
ceramides, indicating that there may be a distinct signal transducing pool of sphingomyelin …