Development 130, e1105 (2003)
Copyright © 2003 The Company of Biologists Limited
Sphingolipids: emerging roles in development
Sphingolipids are complex membrane lipids, some of which, such as
sphingosine-1-phosphate, act in signalling pathways that regulate cell death,
survival, differentiation and migration in multicellular organisms. Herr et
al. now report the identification and disruption, in Drosophila, of
Sply, which encodes sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase, an enzyme that
catalyses the catabolism of sphingosine-1-phosphate. Their findings, on
p. 2443, reveal, for the first
time, that disrupted sphingolipid catabolism can directly cause complex
developmental abnormalities in a metazoan. Sply-null mutants have
abnormal dorsal longitudinal muscles (and so are flightless), reduced egg
laying and larval viability, and accumulate sphingoid bases. These defects
were rescued by restoring Sply expression and by introducing a
suppressor mutation that reduces sphingolipid synthesis and the accumulation
of sphingolipid intermediates. Such findings are a first step towards
elucidating the roles of these signalling molecules in development and cell
function.
Related articles in Development:
- Sply regulation of sphingolipid signaling molecules is essential for Drosophila development
- Deron R. Herr, Henrik Fyrst, Van Phan, Karie Heinecke, Rana Georges, Greg L. Harris, and Julie D. Saba
Development 2003 130: 2443-2453.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
