Characterization of murine sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphohydrolase.

In the present study we have characterized mammalian sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphohydrolase (SPP1), an enzyme that specifically dephosphorylates sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and which differs from previously described lipid phosphate phosphohydrolases. Based on sequence homology to murine SPP1, we cloned the human homolog. Transfection of human embryonic kidney 293 and Chinese hamster ovary cells with murine or human SPP1 resulted in marked increases in SPP1 activity in membrane fractions that were used to examine its enzymological properties. Unlike other known type 2 lipid phosphate phosphohydrolases (LPPs), but similar to the yeast orthologs, mammalian SPP1s are highly specific toward long chain sphingoid base phosphates and degrade S1P, dihydro-S1P, and phyto-S1P. SPP1 exhibited apparent Michaelis-Menten kinetics with S1P as substrate with an apparent K(m) of 38.5 microm and optimum activity at pH 7.5. Similar to other LPPs, SPP1 activity was also independent of any cation requirements, including Mg(2+), and was not inhibited by EDTA but was markedly inhibited by NaF and Zn(2+). However, SPP1 has some significantly different enzymological properties than the LPPs: the aliphatic cation propanolol, which is an effective inhibitor of type 1 phosphatidate phosphohydrolase activities and is only modestly effective as an inhibitor of LPPs, is a potent inhibitor of SPP1; the activity was partially sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide but not to the thioreactive compound iodoacetamide; and importantly, low concentrations of Triton X-100 and other non-ionic detergents were strongly inhibitory. Thus, in agreement with Cluster analysis which shows that outside of the consensus motif there is very little homology between SPP1s and the other type 2 lipid phosphohydrolases, SPP1s are significantly different and divergent from the mammalian LPPs.     

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate Phosphatases

Sphingosine-1-phosphate is a potent proliferative, survival, and morphogenetic factor, acting as an extracellular ligand for the EDG family of G-protein-coupled receptors and possibly intracellularly through as yet, unidentified targets. It is produced within most, if not all cells by phosphorylation of sphingosine, and is an abundant serum lipid that is released from activated platelets. Sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate are in dynamic equilibrium with each other due to the activities of sphingosine kinase and sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase (SPPase). Several SPPase genes have now been cloned, first from yeast and more recently from mammalian cells. By sequence homology, these enzymes can be classified as a subset of membrane bound, Type 2 lipid phosphohydrolases that contain conserved residues within three domains predicted to be at the active site of the enzyme. Outside of the consensus motif, there is very little homology between SPPases and the other type 2 lipid phosphohydrolases in the LPP/PAP family. Type 2 phosphatase activity is Mg(+)-independent and insensitive to N-ethylmaleimide, and substrate specificity is broad for LPP enzymes, whereas SPPases are highly selective for sphingolipid substrates. SPPase activity in yeast and mammalian cells regulates intracellular sphingosine-1-phosphate levels, and also alters the levels of sphingosine and ceramide, two other signaling molecules that often oppose the actions of sphingosine-1-phosphate. Thus, loss of SPPase in yeast results in high sphingosine-1-phosphate levels and cells are more resistant to stress, and in mammalian cells, overexpression of SPPase elevates ceramide levels and provokes apoptosis.     

Sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatases

Sphingosine-1-phosphate is a potent proliferative, survival, and morphogenetic factor, acting as an extracellular ligand for the EDG family of G-protein-coupled receptors and possibly intracellularly through as yet, unidentified targets. It is produced within most, if not all cells by phosphorylation of sphingosine, and is an abundant serum lipid that is released from activated platelets. Sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate are in dynamic equilibrium with each other due to the activities of sphingosine kinase and sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase (SPPase). Several SPPase genes have now been cloned, first from yeast and more recently from mammalian cells. By sequence homology, these enzymes can be classified as a subset of membrane bound, Type 2 lipid phosphohydrolases that contain conserved residues within three domains predicted to be at the active site of the enzyme. Outside of the consensus motif, there is very little homology between SPPases and the other type 2 lipid phosphohydrolases in the LPP/PAP family. Type 2 phosphatase activity is Mg+-independent and insensitive to N-ethylmaleimide, and substrate specificity is broad for LPP enzymes, whereas SPPases are highly selective for sphingolipid substrates. SPPase activity in yeast and mammalian cells regulates intracellular sphingosine-1-phosphate levels, and also alters the levels of sphingosine and ceramide, two other signaling molecules that often oppose the actions of sphingosine-1-phosphate. Thus, loss of SPPase in yeast results in high sphingosine-1-phosphate levels and cells are more resistant to stress, and in mammalian cells, overexpression of SPPase elevates ceramide levels and provokes apoptosis.     

Lipid phosphate phosphatases regulate signal transduction through glycerolipids and sphingolipids

Lipid phosphate esters including lysophosphatidate (LPA), phosphatidate (PA), sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) are bioactive in mammalian cells and serve as mediators of signal transduction. LPA and S1P are present in biological fluids and activate cells through stimulation of their respective G-protein-coupled receptors, LPA(1-3) and S1P(1-5). LPA stimulates fibroblast division and is important in wound repair. It is also active in maintaining the growth of ovarian cancers. S1P stimulates chemotaxis, proliferation and differentiation of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells and is an important participant in the angiogenic response and neovessel maturation. PA and C1P are believed to act primarily inside the cell where they facilitate vesicle transport. The lipid phosphates are substrates for a family of lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs) that dramatically alter the signaling balance between the phosphate esters and their dephosphorylated products. In the case of PA, S1P and C1P, the products are diacylglycerol (DAG), sphingosine and ceramide, respectively. These latter lipids are also bioactive and, thus, the LPPs change signals that the cell receives. The LPPs are integral membrane proteins that act both inside and outside the cell. The "ecto-activity" of the LPPs regulates the circulating and locally effective concentrations of LPA and S1P. Conversely, the internal activity controls the relative accumulation of PA or C1P in response to stimulation by various agonists thereby affecting cell signaling downstream of EDG and other receptors. This article will review the various LPPs and discuss how these enzymes could regulate signal transduction by lipid mediators.     

鞘磷脂代谢与脑缺血

鞘磷脂特别是鞘脂是髓鞘的主要成分,高度集中在中枢神经系统。在生理和病理生理条件下,具有生物活性的鞘磷脂及其代谢产物以及信号传导过程的重要性正在逐步被人们所认识。鞘脂代谢产物鞘氨醇及其前体物质神经酰胺与细胞生长停滞和凋亡有关,而1-磷酸鞘氨醇与增强细胞增殖、分化和细胞生存以及调节细胞的生理和病理过程有关,具有细胞外第一信使和细胞内第二信使的双重功能。这三者之间的相互转换、鞘脂代谢物的相对水平以及细胞的命运,受到鞘氨醇激酶的活性的强烈影响。鞘氨醇激酶可催化磷酸鞘氨醇产生1-磷酸鞘氨醇。1-磷酸鞘氨醇在中枢神经系统中与G蛋白偶联受体家族结合对中枢神经系统发挥作用。本文对鞘磷脂代谢过程中的鞘氨醇激酶、1-磷酸鞘氨醇及其受体与脑缺血之间的关系进行概述。     

Roles of sphingosine 1-phosphate on tumorigenesis

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid with a variety of biological activities.It is generated from the conversion of ceramide to sphingosine by ceramidase and the subsequent conversion of sphingosine to S1P,which is catalyzed by sphingosine kinases.Through increasing its intracellular levels by sphingolipid metabolism and binding to its cell surface receptors,S1P regulates several physiological and pathological processes,including cell proliferation,migration,angiogenesis and autophagy.These processes are responsible for tumor growth,metastasis and invasion and promote tumor survival.Since ceramide and S1P have distinct functions in regulating in cell fate decision,the balance between the ceramide/sphingosine/S1P rheostat becomes a potent therapeutic target for cancer cells.Herein,we summarize our current understanding of S1P signaling on tumorigenesis and its potential as a target for cancer therapy.     

Characterization of ceramide synthase 2: tissue distribution, substrate specificity, and inhibition by sphingosine 1-phosphate

Ceramide is an important lipid signaling molecule and a key intermediate in sphingolipid biosynthesis. Recent studies have implied a previously unappreciated role for the ceramide N-acyl chain length, inasmuch as ceramides containing specific fatty acids appear to play defined roles in cell physiology. The discovery of a family of mammalian ceramide synthases (CerS), each of which utilizes a restricted subset of acyl-CoAs for ceramide synthesis, strengthens this notion. We now report the characterization of mammalian CerS2. qPCR analysis reveals that CerS2 mRNA is found at the highest level of all CerS and has the broadest tissue distribution. CerS2 has a remarkable acyl-CoA specificity, showing no activity using C16:0-CoA and very low activity using C18:0, rather utilizing longer acyl-chain CoAs (C20-C26) for ceramide synthesis. There is a good correlation between CerS2 mRNA levels and levels of ceramide and sphingomyelin containing long acyl chains, at least in tissues where CerS2 mRNA is expressed at high levels. Interestingly, the activity of CerS2 can be regulated by another bioactive sphingolipid, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), via interaction of S1P with two residues that are part of an S1P receptor-like motif found only in CerS2. These findings provide insight into the biochemical basis for the ceramide N-acyl chain composition of cells, and also reveal a novel and potentially important interplay between two bioactive sphingolipids that could be relevant to the regulation of sphingolipid metabolism and the opposing functions that these lipids play in signaling pathways.     

Phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and signal transduction

A Mg ²⁺-independent and N-ethylmaleimide-insensitive phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAP-2) has been identified in the plasma membrane of cells and it has been purified. The enzyme is a multi-functional phosphohydrolase that can dephosphorylate phosphatidate, lysophosphatidate, sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate and these substrates are competitive inhibitors of the reaction. The action of PAP-2 could terminate signalling by these bioactive lipids and at the same time generates compounds such as diacylglycerol, sphingosine and ceramide which are also potent signalling molecules. In relation to phosphatidate metabolism, sphingosine (or sphingosine l-phosphate) stimulates phospholipase D and thus the formation of phosphatidate. At the same time sphingosine inhibits PAP-2 activity thus further increasing phosphatidate concentrations. By contrast, ceramides inhibit the activation of phospholipase D by a wide variety of agonists and increase the dephosphorylation of phosphatidate,lysophosphatidate, sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate. These actions demonstrate ‘cross-talk’ between the glycerolipid and sphingolipid signalling pathways and the involvement of PAP-2 in modifying the balance of the bioactive lipids generated by these pathways during cell activation,     

Sphingosine kinase signalling in immune cells: potential as novel therapeutic targets

During the last few years, it has become clear that sphingolipids are sources of important signalling molecules. Particularly, the sphingolipid metabolites, ceramide and S1P, have emerged as a new class of potent bioactive molecules, implicated in a variety of cellular processes such as cell differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation. Sphingomyelin (SM) is the major membrane sphingolipid and is the precursor for the bioactive products. Ceramide is formed from SM by the action of sphingomyelinases (SMase), however, ceramide can be very rapidly hydrolysed, by ceramidases to yield sphingosine, and sphingosine can be phosphorylated by sphingosine kinase (SphK) to yield S1P. In immune cells, the sphingolipid metabolism is tightly related to the main stages of immune cell development, differentiation, activation, and proliferation, transduced into physiological responses such as survival, calcium mobilization, cytoskeletal reorganization and chemotaxis. Several biological effectors have been shown to promote the synthesis of S1P, including growth factors, cytokines, and antigen and G-protein-coupled receptor agonists. Interest in S1P focused recently on two distinct cellular actions of this lipid, namely its function as an intracellular second messenger, capable of triggering calcium release from internal stores, and as an extracellular ligand activating specific G protein-coupled receptors. Inhibition of SphK stimulation strongly reduced or even prevented cellular events triggered by several proinflammatory agonists, such as receptor-stimulated DNA synthesis, Ca(2+) mobilization, degranulation, chemotaxis and cytokine production. Another very important observation is the direct role played by S1P in chemotaxis, and cellular escape from apoptosis. As an extracellular mediator, several studies have now shown that S1P binds a number of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) encoded by endothelial differentiation genes (EDG), collectively known as the S1P-receptors. Binding of S1P to these receptors trigger an wide range of cellular responses including proliferation, enhanced extracellular matrix assembly, stimulation of adherent junctions, formation of actin stress fibres, and inhibition of apoptosis induced by either ceramide or growth factor withdrawal. Moreover, blocking S1P1-receptor inhibits lymphocyte egress from lymphatic organs. This review summarises the evidence linking SphK signalling pathway to immune-cell activation and based on these data discuss the potential for targeting SphKs to suppress inflammation and other pathological conditions.     

A Metabolic Shift Favoring Sphingosine 1-Phosphate at the Expense of Ceramide Controls Glioblastoma Angiogenesis

Studies in cell culture and mouse models of cancer have indicated that the soluble sphingolipid metabolite sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) promotes cancer cell proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and tumor angiogenesis. In contrast, its metabolic precursor ceramide is prodifferentiative and proapoptotic. To determine whether sphingolipid balance plays a significant role in glioma malignancy, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of sphingolipid metabolites in human glioma and normal gray matter tissue specimens. We demonstrate, for the first time, a systematic shift in sphingolipid metabolism favoring S1P over ceramide, which increases with increasing cancer grade. S1P content was, on average, 9-fold higher in glioblastoma tissues compared with normal gray matter, whereas the most abundant form of ceramide in the brain, C18 ceramide, was on average 5-fold lower. Increased S1P content in the tumors was significantly correlated with increased sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and decreased sphingosine phosphate phosphatase 2 (SGPP2) expression. Inhibition of S1P production by cultured glioblastoma cells, using a highly potent and selective SPHK1 inhibitor, blocked angiogenesis in cocultured endothelial cells without affecting VEGF secretion. Our findings validate the hypothesis that an altered ceramide/S1P balance is an important feature of human cancers and support the development of SPHK1 inhibitors as antiangiogenic agents for cancer therapy.     

Role of sphingosine 1-phosphate in the mitogenesis induced by oxidized low density lipoprotein in smooth muscle cells via activation of sphingomyelinase, ceramidase, and sphingosine kinase.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) have been implicated in diverse biological events leading to the development of atherosclerotic lesions. We previously demonstrated that the proliferation of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) induced by oxLDL is preceded by an increase in neutral sphingomyelinase activity, sphingomyelin turnover to ceramide, and stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (Augé, N., Escargueil-Blanc, I., Lajoie-Mazenc, I., Suc, I., Andrieu-Abadie, N., Pieraggi, M. T., Chatelut, M., Thiers, J. C., Jaffrézou, J. P., Laurent, G., Levade, T., Nègre-Salvayre, A., and Salvayre, R. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 12893-12900). Since ceramide can be converted to other bioactive metabolites, such as the well established mitogen sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), we investigated whether additional ceramide metabolites are involved in the oxLDL-induced SMC proliferation. We report here that incubation of SMC with oxLDL increased the activities of both acidic and alkaline ceramidases as well as sphingosine kinase, and elevated cellular sphingosine and S1P. Furthermore, the mitogenic effect of oxLDL was inhibited by D-erythro-2-(N-myristoylamino)-1-phenyl-1-propanol and N,N-dimethylsphingosine which are inhibitors of ceramidase and sphingosine kinase, respectively. These findings suggest that S1P is a key mediator of the mitogenic effect of oxLDL. In agreement with this conclusion, exogenous addition of sphingosine stimulated the proliferation of cultured SMC, and this effect was abrogated by dimethylsphingosine but not by fumonisin B1, an inhibitor of the acylation of sphingosine to ceramide. Exogenous S1P also promoted SMC proliferation. Altogether, these results strongly suggest that the mitogenic effect of oxLDL in SMC involves the combined activation of sphingomyelinase(s), ceramidase(s), and sphingosine kinase, resulting in the turnover of sphingomyelin to a number of sphingolipid metabolites, of which at least S1P is critical for mitogenesis.     

Dual role for phosphoinositides in regulation of yeast and mammalian phospholipase D enzymes

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid metabolite that regulates diverse biological processes by binding to a family of G protein-coupled receptors or as an intracellular second messenger. Mammalian S1P phosphatase (SPP-1), which degrades S1P to terminate its actions, was recently cloned based on homology to a lipid phosphohydrolase that regulates the levels of phosphorylated sphingoid bases in yeast. Confocal microscopy surprisingly revealed that epitope-tagged SPP-1 is intracellular and colocalized with the ER marker calnexin. Moreover, SPP-1 activity and protein appeared to be mainly enriched in the intracellular membranes with lower expression in the plasma membrane. Treatment of SPP-1 transfectants with S1P markedly increased ceramide levels, predominantly in the intracellular membranes, diminished survival, and enhanced apoptosis. Remarkably, dihydro-S1P, although a good substrate for SPP-1 in situ, did not cause significant ceramide accumulation or increase apoptosis. Ceramide accumulation induced by S1P was completely blocked by fumonisin B1, an inhibitor of ceramide synthase, but only partially reduced by myriocin, an inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, the first committed step in de novo synthesis of ceramide. Furthermore, S1P, but not dihydro-S1P, stimulated incorporation of [3H]palmitate, a substrate for both serine palmitoyltransferase and ceramide synthase, into C16-ceramide. Collectively, our results suggest that SPP-1 functions in an unprecedented manner to regulate sphingolipid biosynthesis and is poised to influence cell fate.     

Neutral ceramidase encoded by the Asah2 gene is essential for the intestinal degradation of sphingolipids

Complex sphingolipids are abundant as eukaryotic cell membrane components, whereas their metabolites, in particular ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate, are involved in diverse cell signaling processes. In mammals, degradation of ceramide by ceramidase yields sphingosine, which is phosphorylated by the action of sphingosine kinase to generate sphingosine 1-phosphate. Therefore, ceramidases are key enzymes in the regulation of the cellular levels of ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate. To explore the physiological functions of a neutral ceramidase with diverse cellular locations, we disrupted the Asah2 gene in mice. Asah2 null mice have a normal life span and do not show obvious abnormalities or major alterations in total ceramide levels in tissues. The Asah2-encoded neutral ceramidase is highly expressed in the small intestine along the brush border, suggesting that the neutral ceramidase may be involved in a pathway for the digestion of dietary sphingolipids. Indeed, Asah2 null mice were deficient in the intestinal degradation of ceramide. Thus, the results indicate that the Asah2-encoded neutral ceramidase is a key enzyme for the catabolism of dietary sphingolipids and regulates the levels of bioactive sphingolipid metabolites in the intestinal tract.     

Structural organization of mammalian lipid phosphate phosphatases: implications for signal transduction

This article describes the regulation of cell signaling by lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs) that control the conversion of bioactive lipid phosphates to their dephosphorylated counterparts. A structural model of the LPPs, that were previously called Type 2 phosphatidate phosphatases, is described. LPPs are characterized by having no Mg²⁺ requirement and their insensitivity to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide. The LPPs have six putative transmembrane domains and three highly conserved domains that define a phosphatase superfamily. The conserved domains are juxtaposed to the proposed membrane spanning domains such that they probably form the active sites of the phosphatases. It is predicted that the active sites of the LPPs are exposed at the cell surface or on the luminal surface of intracellular organelles, such as Golgi or the endoplasmic reticulum, depending where various LPPs are expressed. LPPs could attenuate cell activation by dephosphorylating bioactive lipid phosphate esters such as phosphatidate, lysophosphatidate, sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate. In so doing, the LPPs could generate alternative signals from diacylglycerol, sphingosine and ceramide. The LPPs might help to modulate cell signaling by the phospholipase D pathway. For example, phosphatidate generated within the cell by phospholipase D could be converted by an LPP to diacylglycerol. This should change the relative balance of signaling by these two lipids. Another possible function of the LPPs relates to the secretion of lysophosphatidate and sphingosine 1-phosphate by activated platelets and other cells. These exogenous lipids activate phospholipid growth factor receptors on the surface of cells. LPP activities could attenuate cell activation by lysophosphatidate and sphingosine 1-phosphate through their respective receptors.     

Recycling of sphingosine is regulated by the concerted actions of sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphohydrolase 1 and sphingosine kinase 2

In yeast, the long-chain sphingoid base phosphate phosphohydrolase Lcb3p is required for efficient ceramide synthesis from exogenous sphingoid bases. Similarly, in this study, we found that incorporation of exogenous sphingosine into ceramide in mammalian cells was regulated by the homologue of Lcb3p, sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphohydrolase 1 (SPP-1), an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein. Sphingosine incorporation into endogenous long-chain ceramides was increased by SPP-1 overexpression, whereas recycling of C(6)-ceramide into long-chain ceramides was not altered. The increase in ceramide was inhibited by fumonisin B(1), an inhibitor of ceramide synthase, but not by ISP-1, an inhibitor of serine palmitoyltransferase, the rate-limiting step in the de novo biosynthesis of ceramide. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that SPP-1 expression increased the incorporation of sphingosine into all ceramide acyl chain species, particularly enhancing C16:0, C18:0, and C20:0 long-chain ceramides. The increased recycling of sphingosine into ceramide was accompanied by increased hexosylceramides and, to a lesser extent, sphingomyelins. Sphingosine kinase 2, but not sphingosine kinase 1, acted in concert with SPP-1 to regulate recycling of sphingosine into ceramide. Collectively, our results suggest that an evolutionarily conserved cycle of phosphorylation-dephosphorylation regulates recycling and salvage of sphingosine to ceramide and more complex sphingolipids.     

Sphingolipids and the balancing of immune cell function: lessons from the mast cell

Recent studies reveal that metabolites of sphingomyelin are critically important for initiation and maintenance of diverse aspects of immune cell activation and function. The conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramide, sphingosine, or sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) provides interconvertible metabolites with distinct biological activities. Whereas ceramide and sphingosine function to induce apoptosis and to dampen mast cell responsiveness, S1P functions as a chemoattractant and can up-regulate some effector responses. Many of the S1P effects are mediated through S1P receptor family members (S1P(1-5)). S1P(1), which is required for thymocyte emigration and lymphocyte recirculation, is also essential for Ag-induced mast cell chemotaxis, whereas S1P(2) is important for mast cell degranulation. S1P is released to the extracellular milieu by Ag-stimulated mast cells, enhancing inflammatory cell functions. Modulation of S1P receptor expression profiles, and of enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolism, particularly sphingosine kinases, are key in balancing mast cell and immune cell responses. Current efforts are unraveling the complex underlying mechanisms regulating the sphingolipid pathway. Pharmacological intervention of these key processes may hold promise for controlling unwanted immune responses.     

Structural organization of mammalian lipid phosphate phosphatases: implications for signal transduction.

This article describes the regulation of cell signaling by lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs) that control the conversion of bioactive lipid phosphates to their dephosphorylated counterparts. A structural model of the LPPs, that were previously called Type 2 phosphatidate phosphatases, is described. LPPs are characterized by having no Mg(2+) requirement and their insensitivity to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide. The LPPs have six putative transmembrane domains and three highly conserved domains that define a phosphatase superfamily. The conserved domains are juxtaposed to the proposed membrane spanning domains such that they probably form the active sites of the phosphatases. It is predicted that the active sites of the LPPs are exposed at the cell surface or on the luminal surface of intracellular organelles, such as Golgi or the endoplasmic reticulum, depending where various LPPs are expressed. LPPs could attenuate cell activation by dephosphorylating bioactive lipid phosphate esters such as phosphatidate, lysophosphatidate, sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate. In so doing, the LPPs could generate alternative signals from diacylglycerol, sphingosine and ceramide. The LPPs might help to modulate cell signaling by the phospholipase D pathway. For example, phosphatidate generated within the cell by phospholipase D could be converted by an LPP to diacylglycerol. This should change the relative balance of signaling by these two lipids. Another possible function of the LPPs relates to the secretion of lysophosphatidate and sphingosine 1-phosphate by activated platelets and other cells. These exogenous lipids activate phospholipid growth factor receptors on the surface of cells. LPP activities could attenuate cell activation by lysophosphatidate and sphingosine 1-phosphate through their respective receptors.     

Sphingolipid long chain base phosphates can regulate apoptotic-like programmed cell death in plants

Sphingolipids are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic cells and sphingolipid metabolites, such as the long chain base phosphate (LCB-P), sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P) and ceramide (Cer) are important regulators of apoptosis in animal cells. This study evaluated the role of LCB-Ps in regulating apoptotic-like programmed cell death (AL-PCD) in plant cells using commercially available S1P as a tool. Arabidopsis cell cultures were exposed to a diverse array of cell death-inducing treatments (including Cer) in the presence of S1P. Rates of AL-PCD and cell survival were recorded using vital stains and morphological markers of AL-PCD. Internal LCB-P levels were altered in suspension cultured cells using inhibitors of sphingosine kinase and changes in rates of death in response to heat stress were evaluated. S1P reduced AL-PCD and promoted cell survival in cells subjected to a range of stresses. Treatments with inhibitors of sphingosine kinase lowered the temperature which induced maximal AL-PCD in cell cultures. The data supports the existence of a sphingolipid rheostat involved in controlling cell fate in Arabidopsis cells and that sphingolipid regulation of cell death may be a shared feature of both animal apoptosis and plant AL-PCD.     

Altered sphingolipid metabolism in human endometrial cancer

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that bioactive sphingolipids play a key role in cancer development, progression and metastasis. However, sphingolipid metabolism in malignant tumors is poorly investigated. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the content of selected intermediates of ceramide metabolism and the activity of key enzymes of ceramide de novo synthesis and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) production in the endometrial cancer. The specimens of cancer tissue and healthy endometrium were obtained from women undergoing surgery because of the cancer (n = 23) and because of myomas (n = 18), respectively. The content of sphinganine, dihydroceramide, ceramide, sphingosine and S1P was measured using high pressure liquid chromatography. The activity of the enzymes was determined using radioactive substrates. It has been found that the content of each examined sphingolipid was markedly elevated in the cancer tissue compared with the healthy endometrium. Namely, sphinganine, sphingosine and dihydroceramide by 3–4.6-fold, ceramide and S1P by 1.9- and 1.6-fold, respectively. Interestingly, the ratio of S1P to ceramide remained stable. The activity of serine palmitoyltransferase and sphingosine kinase 1 was increased by 2.3- and 2.6-fold, respectively. We conclude that endometrial carcinoma is characterized by profound changes in sphingolipid metabolism that likely contribute to its progression and chemoresistance.