Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
molecular basis to give glycolipid function a further biological dimension. Elucida-
tion of detailed structures and functions of these domains are a major topic of cell
biology. In medical terms, the development of new compounds to block interac-
tion of bacterial or viral pathogens with their glycolipid receptors on host cells will
help to fi ght infectious diseases. Next, analysis of the structure and function of
tumor-associated glycolipid antigens will advance tumor biology, with the perspec-
tive to devise innovative strategies for tumor therapy, as is also the case for auto-
immune regulation [26]. Since GSL storage disorders are natural models of
GSL-mediated neurodegeneration, their detailed examination on a molecular
level is likely to contribute to a general understanding of neurodegenerative
processes.
Summary Box
Most bacterial and plant glycolipids are glycoglycerolipids, whereas animal and
human glycolipids belong to the class of glycosphingolipids (GSLs). Glycoglyc-
erolipids have been shown to be functional in the photosynthetic process of
thylakoid membranes of bacteria and plants. In Gram- positive bacteria glyco-
glycerolipids are important structural elements of the cell membrane. Lipid A-
linked complex oligosaccharide chains are the predominant cell- surface
structure in Gram-negative bacteria. During infections bacterial glycolipids act
as endotoxins or antigens. GSLs of vertebrate tissues are mainly found in the
plasma membrane, clustered in microdomains or ' lipid rafts ' . This structure
is considered to provide a biochemical platform for interaction with cellular
proteins, thereby infl uencing intracellular traffi cking, signal transduction and
cellular interactions. Specifi c changes of GSL patterns during pathological
processes, like oncogenic transformation or neurodegeneration, suggest that
certain specifi c GSL structures are disease markers and potential targets for
therapeutic intervention.
References
1
Chester MA . IUPAC - IUB Joint Com-
mission on Biochemical Nomenclature
(JCBN). Nomenclature of glycolipids -
recommendations 1997.
Eur J Biochem
1998 ; 257 : 293 - 8 .
Holzl G , Dormann P . Structure and func-
tion of glycoglycerolipids in plants and
bacteria .
Prog Lipid Res
2007 ; 46 : 225 - 43 .
Hakomori SI . Chemistry of glycosphingo-
lipids. In:
Sphingolipid Biochemistry
(Eds.:
Kafner
5
Jones MR . Lipids in photosynthetic reaction
centres: structural roles and functional
holes .
Prog Lipid Res
2007 ; 46 : 56 - 87 .
Raetz CR , Whitfi eld C . Lipopolysaccharide
endotoxins .
Annu Rev Biochem
2002 ; 71 : 635 -
700 .
Bricard G , Porcelli SA . Antigen presentation
by CD1 molecules and the generation of
lipid - specifi c T cell immunity.
Cell Mol Life
Sci
2007 ; 64 : 1824 - 40 .
Miyake S , Yamamura T . NKT cells and auto-
immune diseases: unraveling the complex-
ity .
Curr Top Microbiol Immunol
2007 ; 314 :
251 - 67 .
6
2
7
3
JN ,
Hakomori
SI ),
pp.
1 - 165 .
8
Plenum Press, New York, 1983 .
Ishizuka I . Chemistry and functional dis-
tribution of sulfoglycolipids.
Prog Lipid Res
1997 ; 36 : 245 - 319 .
4
