title: Phytosphingosine promotes megakaryocytic differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells.
abstract: We report that phytosphingosine, a sphingolipid found in many organisms and implicated in cellular signaling, promotes megakaryocytic differentiation of myeloid leukemia cells. Specifically, phytosphingosine induced several hallmark changes associated with megakaryopoiesis from K562 and HEL cells including cell cycle arrest, cell size increase and polyploidization. We also confirmed that cell type specific markers of megakaryocytes, CD41a and CD42b are induced by phytosphingosine. Phospholipids with highly similar structures were unable to induce similar changes, indicating that the activity of phytosphingosine is highly specific. Although phytosphingosine is known to activate p38 MAPK-mediated apoptosis, the signaling mechanisms involved in megakaryopoiesis appear to be distinct. In sum, we present another model for dissecting molecular details of megakaryocytic differentiation which in large part remains obscure.
authors.affiliation: Departments of 1Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Departments of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Jusong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Departments of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Yerim
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Her
authors.affiliation: Departments of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Ikjoo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.affiliation: Bio-informatics Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Sera
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: BK21 Plus R-FIND Team, College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University, Goyang 10326, Korea.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bhattarai
authors.affiliation: BK21 Plus R-FIND Team, College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University, Goyang 10326, Korea.
authors.forename: Guanghai
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: BK21 Plus R-FIND Team, College of Pharmacy, Dongguk University, Goyang 10326, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyeong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Doosan Corporation, Suwon 16229, Korea.
authors.forename: Gukhoon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Doosan Corporation, Suwon 16229, Korea.
authors.forename: Sungkee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Yun Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Departments of Life Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaesang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019038:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex / Q000096:biosynthesis; D040201:Platelet Membrane Glycoprotein IIb / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019038:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIb-IX Complex; D040201:Platelet Membrane Glycoprotein IIb; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C012491:phytosphingosine; D013110:Sphingosine