Cutting edge: modulation of intestinal autoimmunity and IL-2 signaling by sphingosine kinase 2 independent of sphingosine 1-phosphate

ET Samy, CA Meyer, P Caplazi… - The Journal of …, 2007 - journals.aai.org
ET Samy, CA Meyer, P Caplazi, CL Langrish, JM Lora, H Bluethmann, SL Peng
The Journal of Immunology, 2007journals.aai.org
Sphingosine kinase (Sphk) phosphorylates sphingosine into sphingosine-1-phosphate
(S1P), but its recently identified isoform Sphk2 has been suggested to have distinct
subcellular localization and substrate specificity. We demonstrate here that, surprisingly,
Sphk2−/− CD4+ T cells exhibit a hyperactivated phenotype with significantly enhanced
proliferation and cytokine secretion in response to IL-2 as well as reduced sensitivity to
regulatory T cell-mediated suppression in vitro, apparently independent of effects upon S1P …
Abstract
Sphingosine kinase (Sphk) phosphorylates sphingosine into sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), but its recently identified isoform Sphk2 has been suggested to have distinct subcellular localization and substrate specificity. We demonstrate here that, surprisingly, Sphk2−/− CD4+ T cells exhibit a hyperactivated phenotype with significantly enhanced proliferation and cytokine secretion in response to IL-2 as well as reduced sensitivity to regulatory T cell-mediated suppression in vitro, apparently independent of effects upon S1P. Such findings appear to reflect a requirement for Sphk2 to suppress IL-2 signaling because, in Sphk2−/− CD4+ T cells, IL-2 induced abnormally accentuated STAT5 phosphorylation and small interfering RNA knockdown of STAT5 abrogated their hyperactive phenotype. This pathway physiologically modulates autoinflammatory responses, because Sphk2−/− T cells induced more rapid and robust inflammatory bowel disease in scid recipients. Thus, Sphk2 regulates IL-2 pathways in T cells, and the modulation of Sphk2 activity may be of therapeutic utility in inflammatory and/or infectious diseases.
journals.aai.org