Not available outside of the UK & Ireland.

Application

Useful for the study of enzyme kinetics, screening inhibitors, and selectivity profiling.

Biochem/physiol Actions

Ceramide kinase (CERK) is an enzyme involved in sphingolipid metabolism and in the synthesis of ceramide-1-phosphate. It associates with calmodulin and at the time of Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis, it aggregates in lipid rafts. CERK may have a role in calcium signaling. The protein functions in the phagocytosis of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and degranulation of mast cells.

General description

Ceramide kinase (CERK) is a 537-amino acid protein. It has a catalytic region, a putative amino-myristoylation site in its amino terminal region and a pleckstrin homology domain. The gene encoding CERK is localized on human chromosome 22q13.31.

Human ceramide kinase (CERK) (GenBank Accession No. NM_022766), 1-537 (end) with C-terminal Flag-tag, MW= 60 kDa, expressed in Baculovirus expression system.

Unit Definition

One unit is defined as the amount of enzyme required to produce 1 pmole of ceramide-1-phosphate/min at 37°C.