Ceramide kinase
Developmental stage
Highly expressed at 7 dpc and decreases rapidly thereafter.
Function
Catalyzes specifically the phosphorylation of ceramide to form ceramide 1-phosphate (PubMed:16269826). Acts efficiently on natural and analog ceramides (C6, C8, C16 ceramides, and C8-dihydroceramide), to a lesser extent on C2-ceramide and C6-dihydroceramide, but not on other lipids, such as various sphingosines (PubMed:16269826). Shows a greater preference for D-erythro isomer of ceramides (By similarity). Binds phosphoinositides (By similarity).
Tissue Specificity
High level expression in heart, brain, testis and pancreas; low expression in spleen, liver and lung; not detected in skeletal muscle.
Cellular localization
- Cytoplasm
- Cell membrane
- Peripheral membrane protein
Alternative names
Ceramide kinase, mCERK, Acylsphingosine kinase, Cerk