Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are ubiquitous components of eukaryotic cell membranes. They are highly bioactive and are involved in many aspects of cell signalling like cell-cell interaction, cell-substratum interaction and cell-pathogen interaction. GSLs also are involved in the modulation of signal transduction, resulting in regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. The biological importance and complexity of these compounds afford many opportunities to prepare synthetic analogues for studies of their metabolism in intra- and intercellular processes. This review focuses on recent contributions in the synthesis of GSLs, highlighting improvements in glycosylation reactions leading to alpha and beta glycosyl sphingosines and ceramides and related compounds. Literature from 2000 to the present is covered. The glycosylation reactions leading to the synthesis of GSLs are classified in function of the configuration of the created glycosidic bond (alpha or beta) and of the acceptor used, either azido-sphingosine or ceramide.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2007.03.028 | DOI Listing |
Front Cell Dev Biol
December 2024
Department of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
Gliomas are highly aggressive primary brain tumors, with glioblastoma multiforme being the most severe and the most common one. Aberrations in sphingolipid metabolism are a hallmark of glioma cells. The sphingolipid rheostat represents the balance between the pro-apoptotic ceramide and pro-survival sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), and in gliomas it is shifted toward cell survival and proliferation, promoting gliomas' aggressiveness, cellular migration, metastasis, and invasiveness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancers (Basel)
November 2024
Department of Pharmacology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Our recent studies have identified a link between sphingolipid metabolites and the induction of a specialized form of regulated cell death termed immunogenic cell death (ICD). We have recently demonstrated that the synthetic cannabinoid (±) 5-epi CP 55,940 (5-epi) stimulates the accumulation of ceramide (Cer), and that inhibition of sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) enhances Cer accumulation and ICD-induction in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. We employed flow-cytometric, western blot analyses, pharmacological inhibitors of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway and small molecule agonists and antagonists of the CB receptors to further analyze the mechanism by which 5-epi induces Cer accumulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Lipid Res
December 2024
Molecular Cell Biology Division, Department of Biology/Chemistry, Osnabrück University, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany; Center for Cellular Nanoanalytics, Osnabrück University, Artilleriestraße 77, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany. Electronic address:
Sphingolipid metabolism comprises a complex interconnected web of enzymes, metabolites and modes of regulation that influence a wide range of cellular and physiological processes. Deciphering the biological relevance of this network is challenging as numerous intermediates of sphingolipid metabolism are short-lived molecules with often opposing biological activities. Here, we introduce clickable, azobenzene-containing sphingosines, termed caSphs, as light-sensitive substrates for sphingolipid biosynthesis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHum Reprod
December 2024
Experimental Medicine Division, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Study Question: What role do sphingolipids have in mediating human sperm capacitation?
Summary Answer: Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) mediates the acquisition of fertilizing competency in human spermatozoa by engaging with its Gi-coupled receptor S1PR1 and promoting production of reactive oxygen species such as nitric oxide and superoxide anion.
What Is Known Already: Bioactive sphingolipids, such as S1P, are fundamental for regulating numerous physiological domains and processes, such as cell membranes and signalling, cell death and proliferation, cell migration and invasiveness, inflammation, and central nervous system development.
Study Design, Size, Duration: Semen samples were obtained from a cohort of 10 healthy non-smoking volunteers (18-30 years old) to investigate the role of S1P in sperm.
Ocul Surf
December 2024
State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060, China. Electronic address:
Purpose: The absence of effective treatment strategies in Fungal Keratitis (FK) emphasizes the critical need to understand the pathogenic mechanisms to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Sphingolipids have been proved to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of fungal infections, but the specific alteration in sphingolipids and regulatory pathways remain elusive. Our aim is to gain insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms of sphingolipid homeostasis in FK through multi-omics analysis.
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