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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

A Pipeline to Investigate the Structures and Signaling Pathways of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors
Published on: June 8, 2022
The Functional Role of Sphingosine Kinase 2
Rocio Diaz Escarcega1, Louise D McCullough1,2, Andrey S Tsvetkov1,2,3
1Department of Neurology, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX, United States.
Abstract:
Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid molecule that is present in all eukaryotic cells and plays key roles in various extracellular, cytosolic, and nuclear signaling pathways. Two sphingosine kinase isoforms, sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and sphingosine kinase 2 (SPHK2), synthesize S1P by phosphorylating sphingosine. While SPHK1 is a cytoplasmic kinase, SPHK2 is localized to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. The SPHK2/S1P pathway regulates transcription, telomere maintenance, mitochondrial respiration, among many other processes. SPHK2 is under investigation as a target for treating many age-associated conditions, such as cancer, stroke, and neurodegeneration. In this review, we will focus on the role of SPHK2 in health and disease.
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