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Published on: August 25, 2013
Sphingosine-1-phosphate inhibits acid sphingomyelinase and blocks apoptosis in macrophages
Antonio Gómez-Muñoz1, Jennifer Kong, Bill Salh
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. gbpgomua@lg.ehu.es
Abstract:
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (Sph-1-P) regulates critical cellular functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and cell survival. However, its mechanisms of action are incompletely understood. Here, we show a novel biological effect of Sph-1-P: inhibition of acidic sphingomyelinase (A-SMase) activity in apoptotic bone marrow-derived macrophages. A-SMase catalyzes the conversion of sphingomyelin to ceramides, which are pro-apoptotic. This action of Sph-1-P prevents the accumulation of ceramides and blocks apoptosis, thereby promoting survival of the macrophages.
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