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10 sources retrieved · Most recent: April 2026 · Index updated 14 days ago
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SPHK2
sphingosine kinase 2
Chromosome 19 · 19q13.33
NCBI Gene: 56848Ensembl: ENSG00000063176.16HGNC: HGNC:18859UniProt: B3KV83
116PubMed Papers
20Diseases
1Drugs
0Pathogenic Variants
FUNCTIONAL ROLE
Kinase
CLINICAL
Clinical Trials
DATA QUALITY
✓ Experimental GO Evidence✓ Swiss-Prot Reviewed
protein bindingcytosolcytoplasmpositive regulation of apoptotic processneurodegenerative diseasepsoriasismusculoskeletal system diseasehepatocellular carcinoma
✦AI Summary

SPHK2 (sphingosine kinase 2) catalyzes the phosphorylation of sphingosine to generate sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid mediator with pleiotropic cellular functions 1. Unlike the pro-survival SPHK1 isoform, SPHK2 generally promotes apoptosis and enhances intracellular ceramide levels, thereby inhibiting cell growth 2. SPHK2 functions in multiple cellular compartments with distinct roles: in the nucleus, it inhibits histone deacetylases (HDAC1/2) through S1P production, upregulating histone acetylation (H3-K9, H4-K5, H2B-K12) to epigenetically regulate gene expression 3; in mitochondria, S1P binds PHB2 to modulate cytochrome c oxidase assembly and respiratory function. SPHK2 has emerged as a pivotal regulator in multiple pathological contexts. In pulmonary hypertension, elevated SPHK2 (up to 20-fold) drives vascular remodeling through histone H3K9 hyperacetylation in smooth muscle cells 3. In ischemic stroke, SPHK2 provides neuroprotection by mitigating blood-brain barrier disruption and neuroinflammation 4. SPHK2 also regulates hepatic lipid metabolism by controlling VLDL secretion through mTORC2-dependent regulation of SNARE complex stability 5. Additionally, SPHK2 modulates macrophage-mediated liver fibrogenesis via the AhR/NF-κB and AhR/S1P axes 6. In cardiovascular physiology, S1P signaling (produced by both SPHK isoforms) orchestrates endothelial function, vascular tone, and cardiac responses 7, with dysregulation linked to hypertension, atherosclerosis, and heart failure.

Sources cited
1
SPHK2 catalyzes phosphorylation of sphingosine to S1P and exists as an isoform alongside SPHK1
PMID: 25384187
2
SPHK2 promotes apoptosis and growth inhibition, contrasting with pro-survival SPHK1
PMID: 30456838
3
SPHK2 is elevated 20-fold in pulmonary hypertension lungs and drives histone H3K9 acetylation in vascular smooth muscle cells
PMID: 37698017
4
SPHK2 provides neuroprotection in ischemic stroke through S1P-mediated mitigation of blood-brain barrier leakage and neuroinflammation
PMID: 40716518
5
SPHK2 regulates hepatic VLDL secretion through mTORC2-dependent control of SNARE complex stability and chaperone-mediated autophagy
PMID: 40200091
6
SPHK2 modulates macrophage-driven liver fibrogenesis through AhR/NF-κB and AhR/S1P signaling pathways
PMID: 40926017
7
S1P signaling from both SPHK isoforms regulates cardiovascular physiology including endothelial function, vascular tone, and cardiac responses
PMID: 32278039
Disease Associationsⓘ20
neurodegenerative diseaseOpen Targets
0.32Weak
psoriasisOpen Targets
0.23Weak
musculoskeletal system diseaseOpen Targets
0.13Weak
hepatocellular carcinomaOpen Targets
0.13Weak
cholangiocarcinomaOpen Targets
0.11Weak
kidney diseaseOpen Targets
0.10Weak
gliomaOpen Targets
0.10Suggestive
neoplasmOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
colorectal carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
non-small cell lung carcinomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
cancerOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
Alzheimer diseaseOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
multiple myelomaOpen Targets
0.09Suggestive
triple-negative breast cancerOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
non-alcoholic fatty liver diseaseOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
Miyoshi myopathyOpen Targets
0.08Suggestive
coronavirus infectious diseaseOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
papillary thyroid carcinomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
glioblastoma multiformeOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
osteosarcomaOpen Targets
0.07Suggestive
Pathogenic Variants
No pathogenic variants reported on ClinVar for this gene.
View on ClinVar ↗
Drug Targets1
ABC-294640Phase III
Sphingosine kinase 2 inhibitor
Related Genes
MAPK3Protein interaction99%PLPP2Protein interaction99%PLPP3Protein interaction99%SGPL1Protein interaction99%ACER3Protein interaction99%SGPP1Protein interaction99%
Tissue Expression6 tissues
Liver
100%
Ovary
51%
Brain
43%
Lung
28%
Heart
13%
Bone Marrow
12%
Gene Interaction Network
Click a node to explore
SPHK2MAPK3PLPP2PLPP3SGPL1ACER3SGPP1
PROTEIN STRUCTURE
Preparing viewer…
AlphaFoldAI-predicted · UniProt Q9NRA0
View on AlphaFold ↗
Constraintⓘ
LOEUFⓘ
0.93LoF Tolerant
pLIⓘ
0.00Tolerant
Observed/Expected LoF0.65 [0.47–0.93]
RankingsWhere SPHK2 stands among ~20K protein-coding genes
  • #4,097of 20,598
    Most Researched116 · top quartile
  • #8,646of 17,882
    Most Constrained (LOEUF)0.93
Genes detectedSPHK2
Sources retrieved10 papers
Response time—
📄 Sources
10▼
1
Significance of sphingosine-1-phosphate in cardiovascular physiology and pathology.
PMID: 32278039
Pharmacol Res · 2020
1.00
2
Drugging sphingosine kinases.
PMID: 25384187
ACS Chem Biol · 2015
0.90
3
Altered Smooth Muscle Cell Histone Acetylome by the SPHK2/S1P Axis Promotes Pulmonary Hypertension.
PMID: 37698017
Circ Res · 2023
0.80
4
Gut-derived indole propionic acid alleviates liver fibrosis by targeting profibrogenic macrophages via the gut‒liver axis.
PMID: 40926017
Cell Mol Immunol · 2025
0.70
5
Sphk2 in ischemic stroke pathogenesis: Roles, mechanisms, and regulation strategies.
PMID: 40716518
Ageing Res Rev · 2025
0.60