N. Radin, R. R. Vunnam
1981
Citations
0
Influential Citations
25
Citations
Journal
Methods in enzymology
Abstract
Publisher Summary This chapter describes the different aspects of inhibitors of cerebroside metabolism. A competitive inhibitor of glucocerebroside β-glucosidase is N -hexylglucosylsphingosine. This analog of glucosylceramide is a secondary amine, unlike the enzyme's substrate, which is an amide. It differs also in having a much shorter alkyl chain attached to the nitrogen atom. It has been found to be highly effective at about 1 μM with the enzyme in rat, mouse, and human tissues. Glucocerebroside is formed from ceramide in many or all tissues. The aminopropiophenone derivative is an analog of ceramide in which a benzene ring replaces the alkyl chain of sphingosine, a short-chain fatty acid replaces the more customary stearoyl or lignoceroyl moiety, and a bulky basic group replaces the primary hydroxyl group of ceramide. The hydroxyl group at the C-3 position of the sphingoid base is also modified. It is found that the UDPglucose glucosyltransferase is obtained by reducing the ketone group of the compound DL -2-decanoyl-amino-3-morpholinopropiophenone.