Post-translational regulation of sphingosine kinases

Sphingosine kinases (SKs) catalyse the conversion of sphingosine to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a signalling lipid that is involved in a plethora of cellular processes including proliferation, apoptosis, calcium homeostasis, angiogenesis, vascular and neuronal maturation, cell migration and immune responses. Over the last few years, it has become clear that SKs are subject to various forms of post-translational regulation which play important roles in the function of these enzymes. Moreover, dysregulation of SKs has been implicated in many pathological conditions, such as cancer. Here we review the various mechanisms of post-translational regulation of the SKs with the view that such knowledge may lead to the development of therapeutic strategies to modulate the activities of these enzymes in the treatment of cancer and a range of other conditions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Advances in Lysophospholipid Research.