Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Exploring the Regulation of Lipid Droplet Catabolism through Lipophagy
Published on: January 31, 2025
Is autophagy the key mechanism by which the sphingolipid rheostat controls the cell fate decision?
Gregory Lavieu1, Francesca Scarlatti, Giusy Sala
1INSERM U504, Institut Andre Lwoff, Villejuif, France. gl2204@columbia.edu
Abstract:
Sphingolipids are major constituents of biological membrane and some of them behave as second messengers involved in the cell fate decision. Ceramide and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) constitute a rheostat system in which ceramide promotes cell death and S1P increases cell survival. We have shown that both sphingolipids are able to trigger autophagy with opposing outcomes on cell survival. Here we discuss and speculate on the diverging functions of the autophagic pathways induced by ceramide and S1P, respectively.
Related Concept Videos
Autophagy
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and pro-apoptotic...
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Cells Coordinate Growth and Proliferation

