Abstract
Simple sphingolipids such as ceramide and sphingomyelin (SM) as well as more complex glycosphingolipids play very important roles in cell function under physiological conditions and during disease development and progression. Sphingolipids are particularly abundant in the nervous system. Due to their amphiphilic nature they localize to cellular membranes and many of their roles in health and disease result from membrane reorganization and from lipid interaction with proteins within cellular membranes. In this review we discuss some of the functions of sphingolipids in processes that entail cellular membranes and their role in neurodegenerative diseases, with an emphasis on SM, ceramide and gangliosides.
Copyright 2009 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
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Review
MeSH terms
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Aging / metabolism
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Aging / pathology
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Aging / physiology
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Animals
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Cell Membrane / pathology
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Cell Membrane / physiology*
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Gangliosides / chemistry
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Gangliosides / metabolism
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Gangliosides / physiology*
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Humans
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Intracellular Membranes / metabolism
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Intracellular Membranes / physiology
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Membrane Proteins / metabolism
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Membrane Proteins / physiology
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Models, Biological
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Nerve Degeneration / metabolism
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Nerve Degeneration / pathology
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Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
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Nervous System / metabolism*
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Nervous System Diseases / pathology
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Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology*
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Nervous System Physiological Phenomena
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Organelles / metabolism
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Organelles / pathology
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Organelles / physiology
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Sphingolipids / chemistry
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Sphingolipids / metabolism
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Sphingolipids / physiology*
Substances
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Gangliosides
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Membrane Proteins
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Sphingolipids