Neutral sphingomyelinase 2 activity and protein stability are modulated by phosphorylation of five conserved serines

J Biol Chem. 2012 Jan 2;287(1):514-522. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.315481. Epub 2011 Nov 10.

Abstract

We previously presented that the neutral sphingomyelinase 2 (nSMase2) is the only SMase activated in human airway epithelial (HAE) cells following exposure to oxidative stress (ox-stress), yielding ceramide accumulation and thereby inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we reported that nSMase2 is a phospho-protein in which the level of phosphorylation controls nSMase2 activation induced by ox-stress. Here we identify five specific serines that are phosphorylated in nSMase2 and demonstrate that their phosphorylation controls the nSMase2 activity upon ox-stress exposure in an interdependent manner. Furthermore, we show that the nSMase2 protein stability and thus its level of expression is also post-translationally regulated by these five serine phosphorylation sites. This study provides initial structure/function insights regarding nSMase2 phosphorylation sites and offers some new links for future studies aiming to fully elucidate nSMase2 regulatory machinery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Conserved Sequence*
  • Enzyme Stability
  • Epithelial Cells / enzymology
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Phosphorylation
  • Phosphoserine / metabolism*
  • Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / chemistry*
  • Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Phosphoserine
  • Smpd3 protein, mouse
  • Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase