Increased mitochondrial ceramide levels are associated with the initiation of apoptosis.
There is evidence that ceramide is causal. Thus, the conversion of the precursor,
dihydroceramide, to ceramide by the enzyme dihydroceramide desaturase may be important
in preparing the cell for apoptosis. Ceramide can initiate apoptosis by permeabilizing the
mitochondrial outer membrane to apoptosis-inducing proteins. However, the
mitochondrion's ability to produce ceramide may be limited by its proteome. Here, we show …