Alkaline ceramidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of ceramides via a catalytic mechanism shared by Zn²⁺-dependent amidases

Human alkaline ceramidase 3 (ACER3) is one of three alkaline ceramidases (ACERs) that catalyze the conversion of ceramide to sphingosine. ACERs are the members of the CREST superfamily of integral-membrane lipid hydrolases, including the adiponectin receptors which play roles in energy metabolism. All CREST members conserve a set of three Histidine, one Aspartate, and one Serine residue. However, the structural and catalytic roles for these residues are unclear. Here, we use ACER3 as a prototype enzyme to gain insight into this unique class of enzymes. Recombinant ACER3 was expressed in yeast cells that lack endogenous ceramidase activity, and microsomes were used for biochemical characterization. Six point mutantions of the conserved CREST motif were developed that are predicted to form a Zn-dependent active site based on homology with the human adiponectin receptors, whose crystal structures were recently determined. Five mutations completely lost their activity, except for S77A, which showed a 600-fold decrease compared with the wild-type enzyme. The activity of S77C mutation was pH sensitive, with neutral pH partially recovering ACER3 activity. This suggested a role for S77 in stabilizing the oxyanion of the transition state and differs from the proposed role in Zinc coordination for the adiponectin receptors (Vasiliauskaité-Brooks et. al., Nature, 2017). Together, these data suggest ACER3 is a Zn2+-dependent amidase that uses a catalytic mechanism for ceramide hydrolysis that is similar to other soluble Zn-based amidases. Consistent with this mechanism, ACER3 was specifically inhibited by trichostatin A, an HDAC inhibitor, which is a strong chelator of Zinc.