Lipids Lipids: a heterogeneous class of naturally occurring organic compounds (mainly esters) classified together on the basis of common solubility properties

Lipids Lipids include ESTERS Triacylglycerols (triglycerides), phosphoacylglycerols (phospholipids), sphingolipids, glycolipids. NON-ESTERS cholesterol, steroid hormones, and bile acids lipid-soluble vitamins, and prostaglandins

Waxes Waxes are very water insoluble and high melting point. They are widely distributed in nature as protective waterproof coatings on leaves, fruits, animal skin, fur, feathers and exoskeletons Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Waxes Esters of long-chain fatty acids and long chain monohydroxylic alcohols from the Old English word weax = honeycomb

Triacylglycerols Esters of glycerol with three fatty acids Fatty acids are stored as neutral lipids, triaclyglycerols (TGs) TGs are hydrophobic, stored in fat cells (adipocytes) Structure of a triacylglycerol Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Glycerophospholipids

Glycerophospholipids

Structures of glycerophospholipids Phosphatidylcholine (PC) Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Structures of glycerophospholipids

Structures of glycerophospholipids Phosphatidylserine (PS) Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Cardiolipin: Two molecules of PA esterified through their phosphate groups to an additional molecule of glycerol is called cardiolipin

Importance of cardiolipin Cardiolipin is found in bacteria and eukaryotes (inner mitochondrial membrane) Cardiolipin is antigenic, and is recognized by antibodies raised against Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis

Sphingolipids Sphingolipids - sphingosine is the backbone. Abundant in central nervous system tissues Ceramides - fatty acyl group linked to sphingosine Sphingomyelins - phosphocholine attached to ceramide Cerebrosides - glycosphingolipids with one monosaccharide residue attached to ceramide Galactosylcerebrosides - a single b-D-galactose as a polar head group Gangliosides - contain oligosaccharide chains with N-acetyl-neuraminic acid (NeuNAc) attached to a ceramide Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Sphingosine (b) Ceramides Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Significance of Ceramide & sphingosine A long-chain fatty acid is attached to the amino group of sphingosine through an amide linkage Ceramides appear to be involved in the response to stress sphingosine inhibits protein kinase C

Sphingomyelin Amino alcohol sphingosine, rather than glycerol The alcohol group at carbon 1 of sphingosine is esterified to phosphorylcholine Sphingomyelin is an important constituent of the myelin of nerve fibers

Sphingomyelin degradation Sphingomyelin is degraded in lysosomes by sphingomyelinase to give ceramide, and ceramidase to give sphingosine Niemann-Pick disease is due to sphingomyelinase deficiency

Glycolipids Also known as glycosphingolipids contain both carbohydrate and lipid components Ceramides plus a long-chain fatty acid attached to the amino alcohol sphingosine essential components of: All membranes Nerve cells

Glycolipids Significance Glycosphingolipids are antigenic  a source of blood group antigens The carbohydrate portion of a glycolipid is the antigenic determinant serve as cell surface receptors for cholera and tetanus toxins

Galactocerebroside—the most common cerebroside found in membranes Structure of a galactocerebroside Galactocerebroside—the most common cerebroside found in membranes Glucocerebroside Prentice Hall c2002 Chapter 9

Location cerebrosides predominantly in the brain and peripheral nervous tissue

Ganglioside (sphingolipid) found in the ganglion cells Derivatives of ceramide oligosaccharides, and contain one or more molecules of NANA. negatively charged at physiologic pH  provided by N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA). [NANA is also referred to as sialic acid.]