Is autophagy the key mechanism by which the sphingolipid rheostat controls the cell fate decision?
Sphingolipids are major constituents of biological membrane and some of them behave as second messengers involved in the cell fate decision. Ceramide and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) constitute a rheostat system in which ceramide promotes cell death and S1P increases cell survival. We have shown that both sphingolipids are able to trigger autophagy with opposing outcomes on cell survival. Here we discuss and speculate on the diverging functions of the autophagic pathways induced by ceramide and S1P, respectively.
Lavieu
Gregory
G
INSERM U504, Institut Andre Lwoff, Villejuif, France. gl2204@columbia.edu
Scarlatti
Francesca
F
Sala
Giusy
G
Levade
Thierry
T
Ghidoni
Riccardo
R
Botti
Joëlle
J
Codogno
Patrice
P
D001343:Autophagy / Q000502:physiology*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D002518:Ceramides / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000502:physiology; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000502:physiology
D002518:Ceramides; D008246:Lysophospholipids; D013107:Sphingolipids; C060506:sphingosine 1-phosphate; D013110:Sphingosine