Sphingosine-1-phosphate

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a signaling sphingolipid, also known as lysosphingolipid. It is also referred to as a bioactive lipid mediator. It was discovered by Sarah Spiegel, then a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, in the mid-1990s. Sphingolipids at large form a class of lipids characterized by a particular aliphatic aminoalcohol, which is sphingosine.

Production

Sphingosine can be released from ceramides, a process catalyzed by the enzyme ceramidase. Phosphorylation of sphingosine is catalyzed by sphingosine kinase, an enzyme ubiquitously found in the cytosol and endoplasmatic reticulum of various types of cells. S1P can be dephosphorylated to sphingosine by sphingosine phosphatases and can be irreversibly degraded by an enzyme, Sphingosine phosphate lyase.

Function

S1P is a blood borne lipid mediator, in particular in association with lipoproteins such as high density lipoprotein (HDL). It is less abundant in tissue fluids. This is referred to as the S1P gradient, which seems to have biological significance in immune cell trafficking.

S1P

S1P may refer to: