In mammals CER is a substrate for the SLS, SM synthase, to produce SM (Huitema et al. 2004). Whilst in fungi and higher plants phytoceramide is utilized by a different SLS, IPC synthase, to produce IPC as the principal phosphosphingolipid (Nagiec et al. 1997; Wang et al. 2008). This landscape is significantly divergent when it comes to protozoa.