Skip to Content
Merck
  • SIRT1 regulates sphingolipid metabolism and neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells through c-Myc-SMPDL3B.

SIRT1 regulates sphingolipid metabolism and neural differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells through c-Myc-SMPDL3B.

eLife (2021-05-28)
Wei Fan, Shuang Tang, Xiaojuan Fan, Yi Fang, Xiaojiang Xu, Leping Li, Jian Xu, Jian-Liang Li, Zefeng Wang, Xiaoling Li
ABSTRACT

Sphingolipids are important structural components of cell membranes and prominent signaling molecules controlling cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Sphingolipids are particularly abundant in the brain, and defects in sphingolipid degradation are associated with several human neurodegenerative diseases. However, molecular mechanisms governing sphingolipid metabolism remain unclear. Here, we report that sphingolipid degradation is under transcriptional control of SIRT1, a highly conserved mammalian NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). Deletion of SIRT1 results in accumulation of sphingomyelin in mESCs, primarily due to reduction of SMPDL3B, a GPI-anchored plasma membrane bound sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase. Mechanistically, SIRT1 regulates transcription of Smpdl3b through c-Myc. Functionally, SIRT1 deficiency-induced accumulation of sphingomyelin increases membrane fluidity and impairs neural differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Our findings discover a key regulatory mechanism for sphingolipid homeostasis and neural differentiation, further imply that pharmacological manipulation of SIRT1-mediated sphingomyelin degradation might be beneficial for treatment of human neurological diseases.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Anti-GABA antibody, Mouse monoclonal, clone GB-69, purified from hybridoma cell culture
Sigma-Aldrich
Anti-SGMS1 antibody produced in rabbit, affinity isolated antibody
Sigma-Aldrich
Sphingomyelin, from chicken egg yolk, ≥95%
Sigma-Aldrich
Methyl-β-cyclodextrin, powder, BioReagent, suitable for cell culture
Sigma-Aldrich
Laminin from Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm murine sarcoma basement membrane, 1-2 mg/mL in Tris-buffered saline, 0.2 μm filtered, BioReagent, suitable for cell culture
Sigma-Aldrich
Anti-CRISPR/Cas9 antibody, Mouse monoclonal, clone 7A9-3A3, purified from hybridoma cell culture