S. Spiegel, S. Milstien
Jul 19, 2002
Citations
22
Influential Citations
586
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Journal
The Journal of Biological Chemistry
Abstract
The bioactive sphingolipid metabolite sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), 1 formed by phosphorylation of sphingosine catalyzed by sphingosine kinase (Fig. 1), is an important lipid mediator that has been implicated in many biological processes. S1P has been de-tected in organisms as diverse as plants, yeast, worms, flies, and mammals. More than a decade has elapsed since it was first suggested that S1P can regulate cell growth (1). Because it has mul- tiple actions and regulates many processes, only relatively recently have we begun to make major progress in unraveling its pleiotropic actions following the cloning of the enzymes that regulate its levels and identification of its specific cell surface receptors. Much still remains to be uncovered, and its name, derived from the riddle of the mysterious sphinx, remains appropriate for this enigmatic lipid. ,