Recombinant Human Sphingosine Kinase 2/SPHK2 Protein, CF

Sphingosine kinases catalyze the phosphorylation of sphingosine to sphingosine-1-phosphate, a lipid messenger molecule involved in the regulation of processes such as growth, differentiation, and cellular migration (1). Two types of sphingosine kinases, SPHK1 and SPHK2, are known to be expressed in human cells. The two enzymes share considerable amino acid sequence similarity, but differ in their N-terminal and central regions (2). The two proteins also differ in tissue distribution and some kinetic properties (2). Sphingosine kinases can be either cytosolic or membrane-associated. Differences in the distribution of SPHK1 and SPHK2 within cells may be the cause of differences that have been observed in the function of the two enzymes, particularly their roles in apoptosis (3).