Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Cardiolipin was first isolated by M. Pangborn in 1942
[25]
and since has been linked to
a bewildering array of human metabolic disorders including Tangier's disease, Alzheimer's
disease, Parkinson's disease and problems associated with apoptosis. CL from a cow heart
is even used as an antigen in the Wassermann test for syphilis. A rare genetic disorder, Barth
Syndrome, is associated with abnormal CL biosynthesis. Sufferers of this condition are always
male, have mitochondria that are abnormal, and are incapable of sustaining adequate produc-
tion of ATP. Indeed CL touches many aspects of membrane function and human health.
C. SPHINGOLIPIDS
The family of sphingolipids
[26
e
28]
all contain the parent C-18 amino alcohol, sphin-
gosine (
Figure 5.20
). More than 60 different sphingolipids have been found in human
SPHINGOSINE
CH2OH
head group
analogous
to
glycerol
NH2
fatty acid
attachment
HO
trans double
bond
hydrophobic
tail
FIGURE 5.20
Structure of sphingosine.
