title: Functions of sphingosine in cell proliferation and death.
abstract: Interest in the biological functions of sphingosine, the metabolic product of sphingolipids, increased dramatically during the last few years. Sphingosine was found to be an exogenous inhibitor of protein kinase C and of many cell functions which depend on this enzyme including cell proliferation, differentiation, and programmed death. Sphingosine also activates some other protein kinases and regulates a variety of enzymes which are involved in the transmission of cell signals. Sphingosine mobilizes Ca2+ from intracellular stores and controls the specific Ca2(+)-channel. Sphingosine influences the synthesis of DNA and interacts with DNA in competition for the binding sites with histones, some enzymes, and transcriptional factors. Sphingosine is suggested to be a second messenger in the transmission of cell proliferation and apoptosis signals. The possible use of sphingosine in combined treatment of various diseases as a synergist of many drugs is considered.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. aless@center.chph.ras.ru
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Alessenko
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D011493:Protein Kinase C; D013110:Sphingosine