Sphingosine‐1‐Phosphate Promotes FOS Activation in Osteosarcoma Under Tumor Acidosis

AIM: The tumor microenvironment in solid tumors is characterized by extracellular acidosis, which promotes cancer aggressiveness. In osteosarcoma, the most common primary bone cancer, a highly acidic tumor microenvironment is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis, partly due to metabolic rewiring, including changes in lipid pathways such as those involving sphingosine-1-phosphate, a bioactive sphingolipid. Sphingosine-1-phosphate has been previously implicated in histone deacetylase inhibition and gene activation. Here, we investigated whether acidosis induces nuclear sphingosine-1-phosphate accumulation via sphingosine kinase 2, leading to epigenetic activation of oncogenes like FOS in osteosarcoma. METHODS: Osteosarcoma spheroids were cultured under neutral or acidic conditions. Histone H3 acetylation was assessed by capillary Western blotting. FOS expression and FOS nuclear localization were analyzed. Sphingosine-1-phosphate's role was addressed through sphingosine kinase 2 silencing and inhibition (ABC294640). Functional effects were measured using colony formation assays. Patient-derived OS tissues (n = 7) were analyzed for correlations between acidity markers (LAMP2, V-ATPase), sphingosine kinase 2, and FOS expression. RESULTS: Acidosis increased both sphingosine kinase 2 mRNA expression after 24 h and histone H3 acetylation, which followed progressive FOS upregulation and nuclear FOS accumulation. Sphingosine kinase 2 inhibition or silencing reduced these effects and impaired clonogenicity. In patient tissues, sphingosine kinase 2 levels correlated with acidosis markers and FOS expression. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a novel mechanism where acidosis stimulates both nuclear sphingosine kinase 2 to synthesize sphingosine-1-phosphate and histone H3 acetylation, ultimately leading to FOS transcription. Targeting this axis decreased clonogenesis, underscoring its therapeutic potential in osteosarcoma and potentially other acid-adapted cancers.