Ceramide and other sphingolipids are now recognized as novel intracellular signal
mediators. One of the important and regulated steps in the metabolism of sphingolipids is
the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin into ceramide by sphingomyelinases. Whereas some
studies suggest a role for acid sphingomyelinase in cell regulation, several lines of
investigation suggest that neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) plays a critical role in stress
responses including apoptosis. Recently the advanced purification of neutral membrane …