title: Role for neutral sphingomyelinase-2 in tumor necrosis factor alpha-stimulated expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM) in lung epithelial cells: p38 MAPK is an upstream regulator of nSMase2.
abstract: Neutral sphingomyelinases (N-SMases) are major candidates for stress-induced ceramide production. However, there is little information on the physiological regulation and roles of the cloned N-SMase enzyme, nSMase2. In this study, nSMase2 was found to translocate acutely to the plasma membrane of A549 epithelial cells in response to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Additionally, TNF-alpha increased N-SMase activity rapidly and transiently both endogenously and in cells overexpressing nSMase2. Furthermore, the translocation of nSMase2 was regulated by p38-alpha MAPK, but not ERK or JNK, and the increase in endogenous N-SMase activity was abrogated by p38 MAPK inhibition. In addition, both p38-alpha MAPK and nSMase2 were implicated in the TNF-alpha-stimulated up-regulation of the adhesion proteins vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM), but this was largely independent of NF-kappaB activation. These data reveal p38 MAPK as an upstream regulator of nSMase2 and indicate a role for nSMase2 in pro-inflammatory responses induced by TNF-alpha as a regulator of adhesion proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Thach-Giao
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Truong
authors.forename: Yusuf A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Hannun
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C491484:SMPD3 protein, human; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase