Sphingosine‐1‐Phosphate acutely modulates the CFTR (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator) transporter in an AMPK‐dependent manner

Abstract

IntroductionSphingosine‐1‐Phosphate (S1P) is a primary modulator of resistance artery tone. Its bioavailability is controlled by a rheostat between sphingosine kinase 1 and intracellular S1P phosphohydrolase 1. We have found that the transport by CFTR is the rate‐limiting step for the intracellular hydrolysis of S1P. We hypothesized that S1P limits its own degradation by an AMPK‐dependent modulation of CFTR conductance.MethodsCFTR conductance was assessed using the iodide efflux technique (conventional and real‐time) in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, which stably express human wild type CFTR. AMPK phosphorylation was determined using Western blotsResultsBHK cells were found to endogenously express Sk1, SPP1 and the S1P1 and S1P2 receptors (n=8). S1P (1μM, n=6) significantly reduced iodide conductance by 43% (conventional) and 75% (real‐time). The negative effect of S1P on CFTR iodide conductance was enhanced following S1P2 overexpression but reduced following pretreatment with the S1P2 blocker JTE013 (5μM, n=6). The inhibitory effect of S1P was associated with AMPK phosphorylation and blocked by the AMPK inhibitor Compound C (80μM, n=5). Accordingly, AMPK activation by AICAR mimicked the effect of S1P on iodide conductance.ConclusionsThe S1P2‐ and AMPK‐dependent modulation of CFTR conductance describes a novel pathway through which S1P could potentially regulate its own degradation.