Sphingolipids: A Potential Molecular Approach to Treat Allergic Inflammation

Figure 2

Sphingomyelin pathway. Sphingomylein is hydrolysed to ceramide, which is then metabolized to sphingosine and sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P) by different kinases (green). This process is reversible via the activities of different synthases and phosphatases (red). The levels of the biological product, S1P, are regulated by S1P lyase which degrades it into hexadecanal and phosphoethanolamine. Although the structures of each sphingolipid are similar, they have divergent cellular functions with ceramide and sphingoine being pro-apoptotic, and S1P being prosurvival.