Ceramide is known to induce structural rearrangements in membrane bilayers, including the
formation of ceramide-rich and-poor domains and the efflux of aqueous solutes. This report
describes a novel effect of ceramide, namely the induction of transbilayer lipid movements.
This effect was demonstrated in both model (large unilamellar vesicles) and cell (erythrocyte
ghost) membranes in which ceramide generation took place in situ through the action of an
externally added sphingomyelinase. Two different novel assays were developed to detect …