Yusuf A. Hannun

Yusuf A. Hannun is the Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor and Distinguished University Professor of Biomedical Research and the Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Dr. Hannun is an internationally known Researcher in the area of lipids, protein kinases, and signal transduction. His novel contributions to science in the field of lipid biology have opened up a new field of investigation centered on the study of sphingolipids and their roles in cancer biology, inflammation, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. Dr. Hannun received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut and completed a fellowship in hematology/oncology and did postgraduate work in biochemistry at Duke University where he also held faculty positions, culminating in the Wayne Rundles Professorship of Medical Oncology. In 1998, Dr. Hannun joined the Medical University of South Carolina as Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He also serves as deputy director of the Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Hannun has published 360 scientific manuscripts, and he has received numerous national scientific and professional honors, including election as a fellow to the AAAS, election to the AAP and ASCI, the Malinckrodt scholarship, AHA established investigator award, and the Pew scholarship in biomedical sciences. He currently holds multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and other resources. He is coinvestigator of the five-year, $10.9-million Center for Biomedical Research Excellence in Lipidomics and Pathobiology (COBRE) grant helping scientists gain a better understanding and knowledge of the relationship with fatty molecules and human disease.

Biography Updated on 2 August 2007

Articles in Scholarly Journals [Incomplete List]

  1. Redox regulation of neutral sphingomyelinase-1 activity in HEK293 cells through a GSH-dependent mechanism
    Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, vol. 459, no. 2, pp. 295–300, 2007
  2. Clinical relevance of ceramide metabolism in the pathogenesis of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC): Attenuation of C18-ceramide in HNSCC tumors correlates with lymphovascular invasion and nodal metastasis
    Cancer Letters, vol. 256, no. 1, pp. 101–111, 2007
  3. Analysis of membrane topology of neutral sphingomyelinase 2
    FEBS Letters, vol. 581, no. 7, pp. 1323–1328, 2007
  4. MAO-A-induced mitogenic signaling is mediated by reactive oxygen species, MMP-2, and the sphingolipid pathway
    Free Radical Biology and Medicine, vol. 43, no. 1, pp. 80–89, 2007
  5. Translational aspects of sphingolipid metabolism
    Trends in Molecular Medicine, vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 327–336, 2007
  6. Glycosphingolipid synthesis requires FAPP2 transfer of glucosylceramide
    Nature, vol. 449, no. 7158, Article ID nature06097, 5 pages, 2007
  7. Role of Acid Ceramidase in Resistance to FasL: Therapeutic Approaches Based on Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors and FasL Gene Therapy
    Molecular Therapy, vol. 15, no. 7, Article ID 6300167, 4 pages, 2007
  8. Activation of Acid Sphingomyelinase by Protein Kinase C -mediated Phosphorylation
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 15, pp. 11549–11561, 2007
  9. Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 Is Palmitoylated on Multiple Cysteine Residues: ROLE OF PALMITOYLATION IN SUBCELLULAR LOCALIZATION
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 13, pp. 10047–10056, 2007
  10. Involvement of Dihydroceramide Desaturase in Cell Cycle Progression in Human Neuroblastoma Cells
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 23, pp. 16718–16728, 2007
  11. Mechanism of Inhibition of Sequestration of Protein Kinase C  /betaII by Ceramide: ROLES OF CERAMIDE-ACTIVATED PROTEIN PHOSPHATASES AND PHOSPHORYLATION/DEPHOSPHORYLATION OF PROTEIN KINASE C  /betaII ON THREONINE 638/641
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 28, pp. 20647–20656, 2007
  12. Role for Furin in Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha-Induced Activation of the Matrix Metalloproteinase/Sphingolipid Mitogenic Pathway
    Molecular and Cellular Biology, vol. 27, no. 8, pp. 2997–3007, 2007
  13. Role of human longevity assurance gene 1 and C18-ceramide in chemotherapy-induced cell death in human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas
    Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 712–722, 2007
  14. Large-scale purification and characterization of recombinant Pseudomonas ceramidase: regulation by calcium
    The Journal of Lipid Research, vol. 48, no. 3, pp. 600–608, 2006
  15. Altered Adipose and Plasma Sphingolipid Metabolism in Obesity: A Potential Mechanism for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk
    Diabetes, vol. 55, no. 9, pp. 2579–2587, 2006
  16. Cationic long-chain ceramide LCL-30 induces cell death by mitochondrial targeting in SW403 cells
    Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 1520–1529, 2006
  17. Distribution and dynamic changes of sphingolipids in blood in response to platelet activation
    Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, vol. 4, no. 12, pp. 2704–2709, 2006
  18. Potent Antitumor Activity of a Novel Cationic Pyridinium-Ceramide Alone or in Combination with Gemcitabine against Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Vitro and in Vivo
    Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 317, no. 3, pp. 1188–1199, 2006
  19. Loss of sphingosine kinase-1 activates the intrinsic pathway of programmed cell death: modulation of sphingolipid levels and the induction of apoptosis
    The FASEB Journal, 2006
  20. Role for Neutral Sphingomyelinase-2 in Tumor Necrosis Factor  -Stimulated Expression of Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM) and Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM) in Lung Epithelial Cells: p38 MAPK IS AN UPSTREAM REGULATOR OF nSMase2
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 2, pp. 1384–1396, 2006
  21. Selective Substrate Supply in the Regulation of Yeast de Novo Sphingolipid Synthesis
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 282, no. 16, pp. 12330–12340, 2006
  22. Neutral Ceramidase Encoded by the Asah2 Gene Is Essential for the Intestinal Degradation of Sphingolipids
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 281, no. 11, pp. 7324–7331, 2006
  23. Dynamic Sequestration of the Recycling Compartment by Classical Protein Kinase C
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 281, no. 31, pp. 22321–22331, 2006
  24. Acid Ceramidase but Not Acid Sphingomyelinase Is Required for Tumor Necrosis Factor- -induced PGE2 Production
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 281, no. 34, pp. 24695–24703, 2006
  25. Necessary Role for the Lag1p Motif in (Dihydro)ceramide Synthase Activity
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 281, no. 45, pp. 33931–33938, 2006
  26. Protein Kinase C-induced Activation of a Ceramide/Protein Phosphatase 1 Pathway Leading to Dephosphorylation of p38 MAPK
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 281, no. 48, pp. 36793–36802, 2006
  27. Combined therapeutic use of AdGFPFasL and small molecule inhibitors of ceramide metabolism in prostate and head and neck cancers: a status report
    Cancer Gene Therapy, vol. 13, no. 12, Article ID 7700965, 6 pages, 2006
  28. Distinct roles for de novo versus hydrolytic pathways of sphingolipid biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
    Biochemical Journal, vol. 393, no. 3, p. 733, 2006
  29. Identification of a novel amidase motif in neutral ceramidase
    Biochemical Journal, vol. 393, no. 3, p. 687, 2006
  30. Regulation of the sphingosine-recycling pathway for ceramide generation by oxidative stress, and its role in controlling c-Myc/Max function
    Biochemical Journal, vol. 393, no. 2, p. 513, 2006
  31. Biochemistry, vol. 45, no. 38, pp. 11247–11256, 2006
  32. Bioactive sphingolipids in the modulation of the inflammatory response
    Pharmacology & Therapeutics, vol. 112, no. 1, pp. 171–183, 2006
  33. Simultaneous quantitative analysis of bioactive sphingolipids by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
    Methods, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 82–91, 2006
  34. Modulation of Ceramide Metabolism Enhances Viral Protein Apoptin’s Cytotoxicity in Prostate Cancer
    Molecular Therapy, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 637–646, 2006
  35. Involvement of Sphingolipids in Apoptin-Induced Cell Killing
    Molecular Therapy, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 627–636, 2006
  36. New insights on the use of desipramine as an inhibitor for acid ceramidase
    FEBS Letters, vol. 580, no. 19, pp. 4751–4756, 2006
  37. Sphingosine kinase-1 is cleaved by cathepsin B in vitro: Identification of the initial cleavage sites for the protease
    FEBS Letters, vol. 580, no. 26, pp. 6047–6054, 2006
  38. Sphingolipid-binding proteins
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, vol. 1761, no. 8, pp. 927–946, 2006
  39. Neutral sphingomyelinases and nSMase2: Bridging the gaps
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes, vol. 1758, no. 12, pp. 1893–1901, 2006
  40. Tailoring structure–function and targeting properties of ceramides by site-specific cationization
    Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, vol. 14, no. 21, pp. 7083–7104, 2006
  41. Regulation of membrane trafficking and endocytosis by protein kinase C: emerging role of the pericentrion, a novel protein kinase C-dependent subset of recycling endosomes
    Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 263–270, 2006
  42. Roles of AKT and sphingosine kinase in the antiapoptotic effects of bile duct ligation in mouse liver
    Hepatology, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 1320–1328, 2005
  43. Protein kinase C and phospholipase D: intimate interactions in intracellular signaling
    Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, vol. 62, no. 13, pp. 1448–1461, 2005
  44. Inhibition of growth and telomerase activity by novel cationic ceramide analogs with high solubility in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells
    Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, vol. 132, no. 1, pp. 55–62, 2005
  45. Simulation and validation of modelled sphingolipid metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
    Nature, vol. 433, no. 7024, Article ID nature03232, 5 pages, 2005
  46. Biochemistry, vol. 44, no. 40, pp. 13235–13245, 2005
  47. Using genomic and lipidomic strategies to investigate sphingolipid function in the yeast heat-stress response
    Biochemical Society Transactions, vol. 33, no. 5, p. 1166, 2005
  48. Golgi Fragmentation Is Associated with Ceramide-induced Cellular Effects
    Molecular Biology of the Cell, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 1555–1567, 2005
  49. The Phosphatidylglycerol/Cardiolipin Biosynthetic Pathway Is Required for the Activation of Inositol Phosphosphingolipid Phospholipase C, Isc1p, during Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 280, no. 8, pp. 7170–7177, 2005
  50. Positively Charged Ceramide Is a Potent Inducer of Mitochondrial Permeabilization
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 280, no. 16, pp. 16096–16105, 2005
  51. Tumor Necrosis Factor Induces the Loss of Sphingosine Kinase-1 by a Cathepsin B-dependent Mechanism
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 280, no. 17, pp. 17196–17202, 2005
  52. Roles for C16-ceramide and Sphingosine 1-Phosphate in Regulating Hepatocyte Apoptosis in Response to Tumor Necrosis Factor-?
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 280, no. 30, pp. 27879–27887, 2005
  53. Dihydrosphingosine 1-phosphate stimulates MMP1 gene expression via activation of ERK1/2-Ets1 pathway in human fibroblasts
    The FASEB Journal, 2005
  54. A mitochondrial pool of sphingomyelin is involved in TNFa-induced Bax translocation to mitochondria
    Biochemical Journal, vol. 386, no. 3, p. 445, 2005
  55. Sphingosine kinase 1 is up-regulated in colon carcinogenesis
    The FASEB Journal, 2005
  56. The Coordination of Prostaglandin E2 production by sphingosine-1-phosphate and ceramide-1-phosphate
    Molecular Pharmacology, 2005
  57. Resistance to TRAIL is associated with defects in ceramide signaling that can be overcome by exogenous C6-ceramide without requiring down-regulation of cellular FLICE inhibitory protein
    Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, vol. 4, no. 9, pp. 1320–1327, 2005
  58. Acid and neutral sphingomyelinases: roles and mechanisms of regulation
    Biochemistry and Cell Biology, vol. 82, no. 1, pp. 27–44, 2004
  59. EpCAM Is Overexpressed in Breast Cancer and Is a Potential Target for Breast Cancer Gene Therapy
    Cancer Research, vol. 64, no. 16, pp. 5818–5824, 2004
  60. Prodrug Modification Increases Potassium Tricyclo[5.2.1.02,6]-decan-8-yl Dithiocarbonate (D609) Chemical Stability and Cytotoxicity against U937 Leukemia Cells
    Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 309, no. 3, pp. 1051–1059, 2004
  61. Sphingolipids in Inflammation: Roles and Implications
    Current Molecular Medicine, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 405–418, 2004
  62. The Sphingolipid Pathway Regulates Pkc1 through the Formation of Diacylglycerol in Cryptococcus neoformans
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 20, pp. 21144–21153, 2004
  63. Role for Mammalian Neutral Sphingomyelinase 2 in Confluence-induced Growth Arrest of MCF7 Cells
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 24, pp. 25101–25111, 2004
  64. Isoenzyme-specific Translocation of Protein Kinase C (PKC) II and not PKC I to a Juxtanuclear Subset of Recycling Endosomes: INVOLVEMENT OF PHOSPHOLIPASE D
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 27, pp. 28251–28256, 2004
  65. Down-regulation of Sphingosine Kinase-1 by DNA Damage: DEPENDENCE ON PROTEASES AND p53
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 19, pp. 20546–20554, 2004
  66. Defects in Cell Growth Regulation by C18:0-Ceramide and Longevity Assurance Gene 1 in Human Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 43, pp. 44311–44319, 2004
  67. Selective Inhibition of Juxtanuclear Translocation of Protein Kinase C  II by a Negative Feedback Mechanism Involving Ceramide Formed from the Salvage Pathway
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 280, no. 4, pp. 2606–2612, 2004
  68. Sphingosine Kinase 1 (SPHK1) Is Induced by Transforming Growth Factor-  and Mediates TIMP-1 Up-regulation
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 52, pp. 53994–54001, 2004
  69. Ceramide 1-Phosphate Is a Direct Activator of Cytosolic Phospholipase A2
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 12, pp. 11320–11326, 2004
  70. Activation and Localization of Inositol Phosphosphingolipid Phospholipase C, Isc1p, to the Mitochondria during Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 12, pp. 11537–11545, 2004
  71. Local correlation of expression profiles with gene annotations--proof of concept for a general conciliatory method
    Bioinformatics, vol. 21, no. 7, pp. 1037–1045, 2004
  72. The complex life of simple sphingolipids
    EMBO reports, vol. 5, no. 8, Article ID 7400208, 5 pages, 2004
  73. Biologically active sphingolipids in cancer pathogenesis and treatment
    Nature Reviews Cancer, vol. 4, no. 8, Article ID nrc1411, 12 pages, 2004
  74. Sphingomyelin synthase as a potential target for D609-induced apoptosis in U937 human monocytic leukemia cells
    Experimental Cell Research, vol. 292, no. 2, pp. 385–392, 2004
  75. Integration of kinetic information on yeast sphingolipid metabolism in dynamical pathway models
    Journal of Theoretical Biology, vol. 226, no. 3, pp. 265–291, 2004
  76. Lipid Metabolism: Ceramide Transfer Protein Adds a New Dimension
    Current Biology, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. R163–R165, 2004
  77. Quantitative measurement of different ceramide species from crude cellular extracts by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry
    Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, vol. 18, no. 5, pp. 577–583, 2004
  78. Mass spectrometric analysis of ceramide perturbations in brain and fibroblasts of mice and human patients with peroxisomal disorders
    Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, vol. 18, no. 14, pp. 1569–1574, 2004
  79. Observation of different ceramide species from crude cellular extracts by normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry
    Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, vol. 17, no. 11, pp. 1203–1211, 2003
  80. Quantification and characterization of the bystander effect in prostate cancer cells following adenovirus-mediated FasL expression
    Cancer Gene Therapy, vol. 10, no. 4, Article ID 7700576, 9 pages, 2003
  81. Biochemistry, vol. 42, no. 25, pp. 7855–7862, 2003
  82. Rapid Shortening of Telomere Length in Response to Ceramide Involves the Inhibition of Telomere Binding Activity of Nuclear Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate Dehydrogenase
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 279, no. 7, pp. 6152–6162, 2003
  83. BcR-induced Apoptosis Involves Differential Regulation of C16 and C24-Ceramide Formation and Sphingolipid-dependent Activation of the Proteasome
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 278, no. 17, pp. 14723–14731, 2003
  84. Modulation of Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta ) Signaling by Endogenous Sphingolipid Mediators
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 278, no. 11, pp. 9276–9282, 2003
  85. Biochemical Properties of Mammalian Neutral Sphingomyelinase2 and Its Role in Sphingolipid Metabolism
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 278, no. 16, pp. 13775–13783, 2003
  86. Roles for Sphingolipid Biosynthesis in Mediation of Specific Programs of the Heat Stress Response Determined through Gene Expression Profiling
    Journal of Biological Chemistry, vol. 278, no. 32, pp. 30328–30338,