Molecular basis of sphingosine kinase 1 substrate recognition and catalysis.
Article Details
- CitationCopy to clipboard
Wang Z, Min X, Xiao SH, Johnstone S, Romanow W, Meininger D, Xu H, Liu J, Dai J, An S, Thibault S, Walker N
Molecular basis of sphingosine kinase 1 substrate recognition and catalysis.
Structure. 2013 May 7;21(5):798-809. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2013.02.025. Epub 2013 Apr 18.
- PubMed ID
- 23602659 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) is a lipid kinase that catalyzes the conversion of sphingosine to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which has been shown to play a role in lymphocyte trafficking, angiogenesis, and response to apoptotic stimuli. As a central enzyme in modulating the S1P levels in cells, SphK1 emerges as an important regulator for diverse cellular functions and a potential target for drug discovery. Here, we present the crystal structures of human SphK1 in the apo form and in complexes with a substrate sphingosine-like lipid, ADP, and an inhibitor at 2.0-2.3 A resolution. The SphK1 structures reveal a two-domain architecture in which its catalytic site is located in the cleft between the two domains and a hydrophobic lipid-binding pocket is buried in the C-terminal domain. Comparative analysis of these structures with mutagenesis and kinetic studies provides insight into how SphK1 recognizes the lipid substrate and catalyzes ATP-dependent phosphorylation.