title: The emerging role of acid sphingomyelinase in autophagy.
abstract: Autophagy, the main intracellular process of cytoplasmic material degradation, is involved in cell survival and death. Autophagy is regulated at various levels and novel modulators of its function are being continuously identified. An intriguing recent observation is that among these modulators is the sphingolipid metabolising enzyme, Acid Sphingomyelinase (A-SMase), already known to play a fundamental role in apoptotic cell death participating in several pathophysiological conditions. In this review we analyse and discuss the relationship between autophagy and A-SMase describing how A-SMase may regulate it and defining, for the first time, the existence of an A-SMase-autophagy axis. The imbalance of this axis plays a role in cancer, nervous system, cardiovascular, and hepatic disorders.
authors: Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco" (DIBIC), National Research Council-Institute of Neuroscience, University Hospital "Luigi Sacco", Università di Milano, 20157, Milan, Italy.
authors: Cristiana
authors: C
authors: Perrotta
authors: Davide
authors: D
authors: Cervia
authors: Clara
authors: C
authors: De Palma
authors: Emma
authors: E
authors: Assi
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Pellegrino
authors: Maria Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Bassi
authors: Emilio
authors: E
authors: Clementi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001343:Autophagy; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C543066:SMPD1 protein, human; D013108:Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase