Enzymatic method for measurement of sphingosine 1-phosphate

Decreased serum level of sphingosine-1-phosphate: a novel predictor of clinical severity in COVID-19

The severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a crucial problem in patient treatment and outcome. The aim of this study is to evaluate circulating level of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) along with severity markers, in COVID-19 patients. One hundred eleven COVID-19 patients and forty-seven healthy subjects were included. The severity of COVID-19 was found significantly associated with anemia, lymphocytopenia, and significant increase of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, ferritin, fibrinogen, aminotransferases, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP), and D-dimer. Serum S1P level was inversely associated with COVID-19 severity, being significantly correlated with CRP, LDH, ferritin, and D-dimer. The decrease in S1P was strongly associated with the number of erythrocytes, the major source of plasma S1P, and both apolipoprotein M and albumin, the major transporters of blood S1P. Not last, S1P was found to be a relevant predictor of admission to an intensive care unit, and patient's outcome. Circulating S1P emerged as negative biomarker of severity/mortality of COVID-19 patients. Restoring abnormal S1P levels to a normal range may have the potential to be a therapeutic target in patients with COVID-19.

A bidirectional crosstalk between glioblastoma and brain endothelial cells potentiates the angiogenic and proliferative signaling of sphingosine-1-phosphate in the glioblastoma microenvironment

Glioblastoma is one of the most malignant, angiogenic, and incurable tumors in humans. The aberrant communication between glioblastoma cells and tumor microenvironment represents one of the major factors regulating glioblastoma malignancy and angiogenic properties. Emerging evidence implicates sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling in the pathobiology of glioblastoma and angiogenesis, but its role in glioblastoma-endothelial crosstalk remains largely unknown. In this study, we sought to determine whether the crosstalk between glioblastoma cells and brain endothelial cells regulates sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling in the tumor microenvironment. Using human glioblastoma and brain endothelial cell lines, as well as primary brain endothelial cells derived from human glioblastoma, we report that glioblastoma-co-culture promotes the expression, activity, and plasma membrane enrichment of sphingosine kinase 2 in brain endothelial cells, leading to increased cellular level of sphingosine-1-phosphate, and significant potentiation of its secretion. In turn, extracellular sphingosine-1-phosphate stimulates glioblastoma cell proliferation, and brain endothelial cells migration and angiogenesis. We also show that, after co-culture, glioblastoma cells exhibit enhanced expression of S1P₁ and S1P₃, the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors that are of paramount importance for cell growth and invasivity. Collectively, our results envision glioblastoma-endothelial crosstalk as a multi-compartmental strategy to enforce pro-tumoral sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling in the glioblastoma microenvironment.

A sphingosine kinase inhibitor induces cell death in temozolomide resistant glioblastoma cells

PURPOSE

Sphingosine kinase is an oncogene that is up-regulated in several solid tumors. The product of the sphingosine kinase activity, sphingosine-1-phosphate is a potent mitogen involved in diverse cell processes such as cell survival and migration. Current standard therapy in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy using the drug temozolomide (TMZ). However, virtually all tumors become resistant to TMZ. Therefore, new drug targets are necessary. In this study, we investigated whether inhibiting sphingosine kinase could induce cell death in TMZ-resistant GBM cells.

METHODS

To study TMZ resistance in vitro, we have generated TMZ-resistant cell lines from established GBM cells. We used a potent inhibitor of sphingosine kinase to study its effect on colony formation and cell growth in GBM cells with a limited dilution and WST assay. Moreover, cell death was determined by measuring caspase-3 activity using flow cytometry.

RESULTS

A sphingosine kinase inhibitor reduced cell colony formation and activated caspase-3 in both TMZ-sensitive and resistant GBM cells.

CONCLUSION

Addition of a sphingosine kinase inhibitor to the standard chemotherapy regimen against GBM may be beneficial.

Critical Role for Sphingosine Kinase-1 in Regulating Survival of Neuroblastoma Cells Exposed to Amyloid-β Peptide

We examined the role of sphingosine kinase-1 (SphK1), a critical regulator of the ceramide/sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) biostat, in the regulation of death and survival of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells in response to amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide (25-35). Upon incubation with Abeta, SH-SY5Y cells displayed a marked down-regulation of SphK1 activity coupled with an increase in the ceramide/S1P ratio followed by cell death. This mechanism was redox-sensitive; N-acetylcysteine totally abrogated the down-regulation of SphK1 activity and strongly inhibited Abeta-induced cell death. SphK1 overexpression impaired the cytotoxicity of Abeta, whereas SphK1 silencing by RNA interference mimicked Abeta-induced cell death, thereby establishing a critical role for SphK1. We further demonstrated that SphK1 could mediate the well established cytoprotective action of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) against Abeta toxicity. A dominant-negative form of SphK1 or its pharmacological inhibition not only abrogated IGF-I-triggered stimulation of SphK1 but also hampered IGF-I protective effect. Similarly to IGF-I, the neuroprotective action of TGF-beta1 was also dependent on SphK1 activity; activation of SphK1 as well as cell survival were impeded by a dominant-negative form of SphK1. Taken together, these results provide the first illustration of SphK1 role as a critical regulator of death and survival of Abeta-treated cells.

The sphingosine kinase-sphingosine-1-phosphate axis is a determinant of mast cell function and anaphylaxis

Sphingosine-1-phosphate, a key mediator in immune cell trafficking, is elevated in the lungs of asthmatic patients and regulates pulmonary epithelium permeability. Stimulation of mast cells by allergens induces two mammalian sphingosine kinases (Sphk1 and Sphk2) to produce sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Little is known about the individual role of these kinases in regulating immune cell function. Here we show that in mast cells, Sphk2 is required for production of S1P, for calcium influx, for activation of protein kinase C, and for cytokine production and degranulation. However, susceptibility to in vivo anaphylaxis is determined both by S1P within the mast cell compartment and by circulating S1P generated by Sphk1 predominantly from a non-mast cell source(s). Thus, sphingosine kinases are determinants of mast cell responsiveness, demonstrating a previously unrecognized relationship with anaphylaxis.

Platelet-derived microvesicles induce differential gene expression in monocytic cells: a DNA microarray study

Platelet-derived microvesicles (PMV) that are shed from the plasma membrane of activated platelets, expose various platelet-type antigens on their surface and are able to adhere to other blood cells and endothelial cells. There are several clinical conditions with markedly increased numbers of PMV, e.g. acute coronary syndrome, thrombotic microangiopathy and sepsis. To prove whether PMV may contribute to an inflammatory response we used DNA microarray technology to study the effect of PMV on gene expression in the prototypic monocytic cell line MonoMac 6 (MM6). PMV were generated by activating human platelets in plasma with collagen and subsequent removal of platelets and plasma by repeated centrifugation. MM6 were incubated for 2 h with PMV in a ratio corresponding to 75 platelets/cell, or saline as control. After RNA isolation, reverse transcription and fluorescence labelling, cDNA was hybridized on a medium density microarray comprising 5308 probes addressing 4868 transcripts of 4730 human genes relevant to inflammation, immune response and related processes. The formation of PMV-MM6 conjugates was associated with significant variations in gene expression, i.e. 93 genes were found to be differentially expressed (P < 0.001; q < 0.087). Among them, 47 genes with annotated transcripts and proteins were identified. Using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, 37 of the differentially expressed genes were identified as parts of networks associated with functional pathways including cell-to-cell signalling, cellular growth and proliferation, regulation of gene expression and lipid metabolism. For sphingosine kinase-1 the increased expression could be confirmed exemplarily not only by RT-PCR but also on the enzyme activity level. The data indicate that PMV signal differential expression of inflammation-relevant genes in monocytic cells and may represent a novel link between hemostasis and inflammation.

Enzymatic analysis of lipid phosphate phosphatases

Lipid phosphate monoesters including phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate are intermediates in phosho- and sphingo-lipid biosynthesis and also play important roles in intra- and extra-cellular signaling. Dephosphorylation of these lipids terminates their signaling actions and, in some cases, generates products with additional biological activities or metabolic fates. The key enzymes responsible for dephosphorylation of these lipid phosphate substrates are collectively termed lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPPs). They are integral membrane enzymes with a core domain of six transmembrane spanning alpha-helices linked by extramembrane loops. LPPs are oriented in the membrane with their N- and C-termini facing the cytoplasm. LPPs exhibit isoform and cell specific localization patterns being variably distributed between endomembrane compartments (primarily the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus) and the plasma membrane. The active site of these enzymes is formed from residues within two of the extramembrane loops and faces the lumen of endomembrane compartments or, when localized to the plasma membrane, towards, the extracellular space. Biochemical, pharmacological, cell biological and genetic studies identify roles for LPPs in both intracellular lipid metabolism and the regulation of both intra- and extra-cellular signaling pathways that control cell growth, survival and migration. This article describes procedures for the expression of LPPs in insect and mammalian cells and their analysis by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. The most straightforward way to determine LPP activity is to measure release of the substrate phosphate group. We described methods for the synthesis and purification of [(32)P]-labeled LPP substrates. We describe the use of both radiolabeled and fluorescent lipid substrates for the detection, quantitation and analysis of the enzymatic activities of the LPPs measured using intact or broken cell preparations as the source of enzyme.

Characterization and direct quantitation of sphingoid base-1-phosphates from lipid extracts: a shotgun lipidomics approach

Here, we have extended shotgun lipidomics for the characterization and quantitation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) and dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate (DHS1P) in crude lipid extracts in the presence of ammonium hydroxide by using precursor ion scanning of m/z 79.0 (corresponding to [PO(3)](-)) in the negative-ion mode. It is demonstrated that a broad linear dynamic range for the quantitation of both S1P and DHS1P and a detection limit at low amol/mul concentration are achieved using this approach. The developed method for the quantitation of sphingoid base-1-phosphates is generally simpler and more efficient than other previously published methods. Multiple factors influencing the quantitation of sphingoid base-1-phosphates, including ion suppression, extraction efficiency, and potential overlapping with other molecular species, were examined extensively and/or are discussed. Mass levels of S1P and DHS1P in multiple biological samples, including human plasma, mouse plasma, and mouse brain tissues (e.g., cortex, cerebellum, spinal cord, and brain stem), were determined by the developed methodology. Accordingly, this technique, as a new addition to shotgun lipidomics technology, will be extremely useful for understanding the pathways of sphingolipid metabolism and for exploring the important roles of sphingoid base-1-phosphates in a wide range of physiological and pathological studies.

The calmodulin-binding site of sphingosine kinase and its role in agonist-dependent translocation of sphingosine kinase 1 to the plasma membrane

Sphingosine kinases catalyze the formation of sphingosine 1-phosphate, a bioactive lipid involved in many aspects of cellular regulation, including the fundamental biological processes of cell growth and survival. A diverse range of cell agonists induce activation of human sphingosine kinase 1 (hSK1) and, commonly, its translocation to the plasma membrane. Although the activation of hSK1 in response to at least some agonists occurs directly via its phosphorylation at Ser225 by ERK1/2, many aspects governing the regulation of this phosphorylation and subsequent translocation remain unknown. Here, in an attempt to understand some of these processes, we have examined the known interaction of hSK1 with calmodulin (CaM). By using a combination of limited proteolysis, peptide interaction analysis, and site-directed mutagenesis, we have identified that the CaM-binding site of hSK1 resides in the region spanned by residues 191-206. Specifically, Phe197 and Leu198 are critically involved in the interaction because a version of hSK1 incorporating mutations of both Phe197 --> Ala and Leu198 --> Gln failed to bind CaM. We have also shown for the first time that human sphingosine kinase 2 (hSK2) binds CaM, and does so via a CaM binding region that is conserved with hSK1 because comparable mutations in hSK2 also ablate CaM binding to this protein. By using the CaM-binding-deficient version of hSK1, we have begun to elucidate the role of CaM in hSK1 regulation by demonstrating that disruption of the CaM-binding site ablates agonist-induced translocation of hSK1 from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane, while having no effect on hSK1 phosphorylation and catalytic activation.

IgE-dependent activation of sphingosine kinases 1 and 2 and secretion of sphingosine 1-phosphate requires Fyn kinase and contributes to mast cell responses

Engagement of the high affinity receptor for IgE (FcepsilonRI) on mast cells results in the production and secretion of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a lipid metabolite present in the lungs of allergen-challenged asthmatics. Herein we report that two isoforms of sphingosine kinase (SphK1 and SphK2) are expressed and activated upon FcepsilonRI engagement of bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC). Fyn kinase is required for FcepsilonRI coupling to SphK1 and -2 and for subsequent S1P production. Normal activation of SphK1 and -2 was restored by expression of wild type Fyn but only partly with a kinase-defective Fyn, indicating that induction of SphK1 and SphK2 depended on both catalytic and noncatalytic properties of Fyn. Downstream of Fyn, the requirements for SphK1 activation differed from that of SphK2. Whereas SphK1 was considerably dependent on the adapter Grb2-associated binder 2 and phosphatidylinositol 3-OH kinase, SphK2 showed minimal dependence on these molecules. Fyn-deficient BMMC were defective in chemotaxis and, as previously reported, in degranulation. These functional responses were partly reconstituted by the addition of exogenous S1P to FcepsilonRI-stimulated cells. Taken together with our previous study, which demonstrated delayed SphK activation in Lyn-deficient BMMC, we propose a cooperative role between Fyn and Lyn kinases in the activation of SphKs, which contributes to mast cell responses.

Sphingosine kinase activity counteracts ceramide-mediated cell death in human melanoma cells: role of Bcl-2 expression

While most of the pharmacological therapies for melanoma utilize the apoptotic machinery of the cells, the available therapeutic options are limited due to the ability of melanoma cells to resist programmed cell death. Human melanoma cell lines A-375 and M186 are sensitive to ceramide- and Fas-induced cell death, while Mel-2a and M221 are resistant. We have now found that Mel-2a and M221 cells have a significantly higher ceramide/sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) ratio than A-375 and M186 cells. As sphingosine kinase (SphK) type 1 plays a critical role in determining the dynamic balance between the proapoptotic sphingolipid metabolite ceramide and the prosurvival S1P, we examined its role in apoptosis of melanoma cells. Increasing SphK1 expression reduced the sensitivity of A-375 melanoma cells to Fas- and ceramide-mediated apoptosis. Conversely, downregulation of SphK1 with small interfering RNA decreased the resistance of Mel-2a cells to apoptosis. Importantly, overexpression of the prosurvival protein Bcl-2 in A-375 cells markedly stimulated SphK1 expression and activity, while downregulation of Bcl-2 reduced SphK1 expression. This link between Bcl-2 and SphK1 might be an additional clue to chemotherapy resistance of malignant melanoma.

Signalling mechanisms in sphingosine 1-phosphate-promoted mesangial cell proliferation

BACKGROUND

The bioactive sphingolipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is formed by the activation of sphingosine kinase (SPHK) in diverse stimuli, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). S1P acts not only as an extracellular mediator but also as an intracellular second messenger, resulting in the proliferation of various different types of cells. However, the signal transduction mechanism in S1P-induced proliferation of mesangial cells is poorly known.

RESULTS

We examined the signalling mechanisms by which S1P and dihydro-S1P (DHS1P), another S1P receptor agonist, induce mesangial cell proliferation. We first observed that exogenous S1P/DHS1P had additive effects on the PDGF-promoted proliferation of mesangial cells. Treatment of mesangial cells with pertussis toxin almost completely inhibited S1P- and DHS1P-induced, and slightly inhibited PDGF-induced cell proliferation. Additionally, the ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 partially blocked the proliferation of mesangial cells induced by all these ligands. N,N-dimethylsphingosine, a competitive inhibitor of SPHK, reduced PDGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation, whereas over-expression of SPHK promoted it. We also revealed that PDGF induces SPHK mRNA expression and SPHK activity, suggesting that SPHK, which links the PDGF to the S1P signalling cascade, is, at least in part, involved in PDGF-induced mesangial cell proliferation. Moreover, we found that extracellular S1P stimulates two S1P receptors, EDG3 and EDG5, which leads to cell proliferation and survival.

CONCLUSIONS

The data show that S1P-induced mesangial cell proliferation is mediated by EDG-dependent and -independent signalling pathways. S1P may cooperate with PDGF to increase the proliferation of mesangial cells during pathophysiological processes.

Sphingosine kinase: a point of convergence in the action of diverse neutrophil priming agents

Neutrophils are a vital component of the early acute inflammatory response, but can cause profound tissue damage when activated to excess or prevented from undergoing apoptosis. However, much remains unknown about the intracellular signaling pathways regulating neutrophil activity. The structurally diverse neutrophil-priming agents platelet-activating factor, TNF-alpha, and the substance P analog [D-Arg(6), D-Trp(7,9),N(me)Phe(8)]-substance P(6-11) (SP-G) stimulated a rapid increase in sphingosine kinase activity in freshly isolated human neutrophils. This activity was blocked by preincubation with the sphingosine kinase inhibitor N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS). DMS also inhibited the increase in intracellular calcium concentration stimulated by platelet-activating factor, fMLP, and SP-G. This suggests that the increase in intracellular calcium concentration by these agents is dependent on sphingosine kinase activation and the generation of sphingosine-1-phosphate. Changes in cell polarization and the augmentation of the fMLP-induced superoxide anion generation, by all priming agents were also inhibited by DMS, while only the superoxide anion release was blocked by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. Moreover, SP-G and GM-CSF inhibited constitutive neutrophil apoptosis which was completely blocked by DMS. These results suggest a novel role for sphingosine kinase in the regulation of neutrophil priming.