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SphingolipidA member of a class of lipids derived from the aliphatic amino alcohol sphingosine. The sphingosine backbone is O-linked to a (usually) charged head group such as ethanolamine, serine, or choline. The backbone is also amide-linked to an acyl group such as a fatty acid. Sphingolipids are often found in neural tissue, and play an important role in both signal transmission and cell-cell recognition. There are three main types of sphingolipids: ceramides, sphingomyelins, and glycosphingolipids. Ceramides are the simplest type of sphingolipid. They consist simply of a fatty acid chain attached through an amide linkage to sphingosine. Sphingomyelins have a phosphorylcholine or phosphoroethanolamine molecule esterified to the 1-hydroxy group of a ceramide. Glycosphingolipids are ceramides with one or more sugar residues joined in a β-glycosidic linkage at the 1-hydroxyl position. Glycosphingolipids may be further subdivided into cerebrosides and gangliosides. Cerebrosides have a single glucose or galactose at the 1-hydroxy position, while gangliosides have at least three sugars, one of which must be sialic acid. References *Grisham & Garret (2005). Biochemistry (3rd ed.). Thomson Brooks/Cole.
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