title: Sphingolipids: the oil on the TRAFire that promotes inflammation.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR)-associated factors (TRAFs) control inflammatory and immune responses by acting downstream of TNFRs and Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TRAF2 in particular has been extensively studied for its involvement in signaling by TNF-α, the classic inflammatory cytokine. Because it has a RING finger, it has been suggested that TRAF2 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that catalyzes the noncanonical Lys-63 (K63)-linked polyubiquitination of receptor-induced protein 1 (RIP1), which is an essential event in the activation of the IκB kinase complex and consequently nuclear factor κB. Furthermore, TRAF2 itself is subject to K63-linked polyubiquitination, a modification that is rapidly induced upon receptor ligation and was interpreted to be the result of self-ubiquitination. However, formal evidence that TRAF2 is an active E3 ubiquitin ligase was lacking. New evidence shows that sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a sphingolipid that is synthesized during inflammatory responses, is an essential cofactor for TRAF2 ubiquitin ligase activity. S1P binds to TRAF2 and promotes TRAF2-mediated K63-linked RIP1 polyubiquitination, providing direct evidence that TRAF2 is an active E3 ubiquitin ligase and also introducing lipid second messengers into the realm of TNFR and TLR signaling.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Signal Transduction, Departments of Pharmacology and Pathology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D054875:Ubiquitination
chemical_list: D013107:Sphingolipids; D047992:TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 2