Regulation of glucosylceramide synthase and sphingolipid remodeling in the plant response to phosphate deficiency.

Sphingolipids are important and abundant lipids in the plasma membrane, and their homeostasis plays a key role in plant growth, development, and stress responses. We previously found that nonspecific phospholipase C4 (NPC4) hydrolyzes sphingophospholipids upon phosphate starvation. Here, we defined the downstream steps of sphingolipid remodeling by identifying glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) and its regulatory mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana.