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Ceramide has been suggested as an important mediator of the effects of extracellular agonists on cell growth inhibition, differentiation, apoptosis. However the biochemical signaling mechanism involved in transducing the effects of ceramide on leukemia cell differentiation is still unclear. In these respects, we examined the regulatory effects of ceramide on c-jun gene expression during differentiation. In U-937 cells. ceramide increased c-jun mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner. The half life, of c-jun mRNA was 30 min. In contrast, inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide in the absence, of transcription with actinomycin D increased the half-life of c-jun mRNA in ceramide-treated U-937 cells to more than 90 min. In order to examine whether ceramide-inhibited c-jun gene expression is regulated through ceramide-activated protein phosphatase (CAPP), a direct target for the action of ceramide, okadaic acid were treated to the cells. Okadaic acid inhibited enhancement of c-jun mRNA induced by C2-ceramide in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that ceramide increases c-jun mRNA level during differentiation in U-937 cells and regulates the gene expression on posttranscriptional level. In addition, we provide the evidence that CAPP is involved in ceramide-induced c-jun gene expression in U-937 cells.
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