D-erythro-Sphinganine is a precursor of ceramide and sphingosine as well as a substrate of sphingosine kinases, which generate sphinganine-1-phosphate. Sphinganine levels increase significantly in response to certain mycotoxins, including fumonisins, as well as in some cancers. Sphinganine can block protein kinase C activation in some cases but not others. Sphinganine-1-phosphate can emulate sphingosine-1-phosphate in cell signaling or have opposite intracellular effects.