ROLE OF SPHINGOSINE-1 PHOSPHATE (S1P) IN OVARIAN PHYSIOLOGY

ROLE OF SPHINGOSINE-1 PHOSPHATE (S1P) IN OVARIAN PHYSIOLOGY 

Sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P) is a lysosphingolipid present in the ovarian follicular fluid and it is involved in several intracellular processes such as cell growth, survival, proliferation and migration.

The several physiological functions exerted by S1P are mediated through five specific G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), known as S1PR1-5. S1P-receptors (S1PRs) are activated at nanomolar concentrations and each of them specifically induces activation or inhibition of different signaling pathways.  To date, its action in the ovary is largely unknown. It was demonstrated that S1P doesn’t induce intracellular steroidogenic signals and progesterone synthesis in human primary granulosa lutein cells. However, S1P may act synergistically with gonadotropins in modulating follicle development. The aim of this study is to characterize the role of S1P-induced signaling, exerted through its receptors, in ovarian granulosa cells.