Regulating survival and development in the retina: a key role for simple sphingolipids.

ROTSTEIN N.P.(AUTORA CORRESPONDIENTE); MIRANDA G.E.; ABRAHAN C.E.; GERMAN O.L.

JLR PAPERS IN PRESS

AMER SOC BIOCHEMISTRY MOLECULAR BIOLOGY INC

Año: 2010 vol. 51 p. 1247 - 1262

0022-2275

Sphingolipids have key functions as cell signals involved in the regulation of crucial cellular processes, such as cell survival and death, proliferation and differentiation. This review introduces the roles played by the sphingolipids ceramide (Cer) and sphingosine (Sph) in the regulation of growth arrest and induction of cell death, and those of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), controlling proliferation, differentiation and survival in different cell systems and then focuses on their possible roles in retinal cells. Recent data support Cer and Sph as key mediators in the induction of cell death in the retina in diverse models of oxidative damage and neurodegeneration, and provide evidence that regulating their metabolism can prevent this death. New evidence has begun to uncover a central role for S1P in the regulation of photoreceptor survival and differentiation. Finally, this review discusses recent findings that highlight the ability of trophic factors to regulate sphingolipid metabolism and transactivate S1P signaling pathways to control survival and development in retina photoreceptors.