Sphingosine induces apoptosis in hippocampal neurons and astrocytes by activating caspase-3/-9 via a mitochondrial pathway linked to SDK/14-3-3 protein/Bax/cytochrome c.

The present study examined sphingosine-induced apoptosis in cultured rat hippocampal neurons and astrocytes. Sphingosine induced apoptosis in a concentration (1-100 µM)-dependent manner, that is inhibited by the PKC-δ inhibitor rottlerin, and a similar effect was obtained with the sphingosine kinase inhibitors, to raise intracellular sphingosine concentrations. Sphingosine increased presence of sphingosine-dependent protein kinase (SDK), and the effect was suppressed by rottlerin. Sphingosine increased phosphorylated 14-3-3 protein, thereby transforming the protein from a dimeric structure into a monomeric structure. Sphingosine accumulated Bax in the mitochondria and stimulated cytochrome c release into the cytosol, and those effects were inhibited by rottlerin. Sphingosine disrupted mitochondrial membrane potentials, that was abolished by silencing the PKC-δ-targeted gene. Moreover, sphingosine activated caspase-9 and the effector caspase-3 in a PKC-δ-dependent manner. Taken together, the results of the present study indicate that sphingosine activates SDK, produced through proteolytic processing of an active form of PKC-δ, to phosphorylate 14-3-3 protein and transform into a monomeric structure, causing Bax dissociation from 14-3-3 protein and accumulation in the mitochondria, which perturbs mitochondrial membrane potentials allowing cytochrome c release into the cytosol, to activate caspase-9 and the effector caspase-3, responsible for apoptosis in hippocampal neurons and astrocytes.