Sphingolipids Metabolites: A New Class of Second Messengers in the Regulation of Cell Growth

摘要: The interaction of growth factors with specific cell surface receptors triggers multiple intracellular signaling pathways that culminate in DNA synthesis and division.1, 2 Growth networks which glycerophospholipid metabolites, such as diacylglycerol, inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate (InsP3), phosphatidic acid, arachidonic serve second messengers have been well characterized.3–5 Much less is known the derived from another major class membrane lipids, sphingolipids. All sphingolipids, including ceramide, sphingomyelin, cerebrosides, gangliosides, sulfatides, contain (1) a long-chain sphingoid base their backbone, sphingosine most prominent, (2) an amide-linked fatty (3) polar head group (hydroxyl for phosphorylcholine carbohydrate residues varying complexity glycosphingolipids). These ubiquitous cellular components long to play important, yet undefined, role regulation.6–8