Cell-intrinsic ceramides determine T cell function during melanoma progression

Acid sphingomyelinase (Asm) and acid ceramidase (Ac) are parts of the sphingolipid metabolism. Asm hydrolyzes sphingomyelin to ceramide, which is further metabolized to sphingosine by Ac. Ceramide generates ceramide-enriched platforms that are involved in receptor clustering within cellular membranes. However, the impact of cell-intrinsic ceramide on T cell function is not well characterized. By using T cell-specific Asm- or Ac-deficient mice, with reduced or elevated ceramide levels in T cells, we identified ceramide to play a crucial role in T cell function in vitro and in vivo. T cell-specific ablation of Asm in Smpd1(fl/fl)/Cd4(cre/+) (Asm/CD4cre) mice resulted in enhanced tumor progression associated with impaired T cell responses, whereas Asah1(fl/fl)/Cd4(cre/+) (Ac/CD4cre) mice showed reduced tumor growth rates and elevated T cell activation compared to the respective controls upon tumor transplantation. Further in vitro analysis revealed that decreased ceramide content supports CD4(+) regulatory T cell differentiation and interferes with cytotoxic activity of CD8(+) T cells. In contrast, elevated ceramide concentration in CD8(+) T cells from Ac/CD4cre mice was associated with enhanced cytotoxic activity. Strikingly, ceramide co-localized with the T cell receptor (TCR) and CD3 in the membrane of stimulated T cells and phosphorylation of TCR signaling molecules was elevated in Ac-deficient T cells. Hence, our results indicate that modulation of ceramide levels, by interfering with the Asm or Ac activity has an effect on T cell differentiation and function and might therefore represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of T cell-dependent diseases such as tumorigenesis.