This gene encodes a protein that catalyzes the synthesis of 2-hydroxysphingolipids, a subset of sphingolipids that contain 2-hydroxy fatty acids. Sphingolipids play roles in many cellular processes and their structural diversity arises from modification of the hydrophobic ceramide moiety, such as by 2-hydroxylation of the N-acyl chain, and the existence of many different head groups.[1]
File:2-OH sphingolipid synthesis.pdfMechanism of 2-hydroxylated sphingolipid generation. Essentially they are generated like their non-hydroxylated counterparts. The only difference is that fatty acids are hydroxylated by fatty acid 2-hydroxylase (FA2H) before being incorporated into dihydroceramide by ceramide synthases (CerS).
Clinical significance
Mutations in this gene have been associated with leukodystrophy dysmyelinating with spastic paraparesis with or without dystonia[1] as well as fatty acid hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration.[2]
FA2H has been shown to modulate cell differentiationin vitro. FA2H is may be a Δ9-THC-regulated gene, as Δ9-THC induces differentiation signal(s) in poorly differentiated MDA-MB-231 cells.[3]
Alderson NL, Rembiesa BM, Walla MD, Bielawska A, Bielawski J, Hama H (November 2004). "The human FA2H gene encodes a fatty acid 2-hydroxylase". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 279 (47): 48562–8. doi:10.1074/jbc.M406649200. PMID15337768.
Uchida Y, Hama H, Alderson NL, Douangpanya S, Wang Y, Crumrine DA, Elias PM, Holleran WM (May 2007). "Fatty acid 2-hydroxylase, encoded by FA2H, accounts for differentiation-associated increase in 2-OH ceramides during keratinocyte differentiation". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 282 (18): 13211–9. doi:10.1074/jbc.M611562200. PMID17355976.
Dick KJ, Al-Mjeni R, Baskir W, Koul R, Simpson MA, Patton MA, Raeburn S, Crosby AH (July 2008). "A novel locus for an autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG35) maps to 16q21-q23". Neurology. 71 (4): 248–52. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000319610.29522.8a. PMID18463364.
