NMR metabolomics highlights sphingosine kinase-1 as a new molecular switch in the orchestration of aberrant metabolic phenotype in cancer cells.

Strong experimental evidence in animal and cellular models supports a pivotal role of sphingosine kinase-1 (SK1) in oncogenesis. In many human cancers, SK1 levels are upregulated and these increases are linked to poor prognosis in patients. Here, by employing untargeted NMR-based metabolomic profiling combined with functional validations, we report the crucial role of SK1 in the metabolic shift known as the Warburg effect in A2780 ovarian cancer cells. Indeed, expression of SK1 induced a high glycolytic rate, characterized by increased levels of lactate along with increased expression of the proton/monocarboxylate symporter MCT1, and decreased oxidative metabolism, associated with the accumulation of intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and reduction in CO