Functional roles of glycosphingolipids in signal transduction via lipid rafts

The formation of glycosphingolipid (GSL)-cholesterol microdomains in cell membranes has been proposed to function as platforms for the attachment of lipid-modified proteins, such as glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins and src-family tyrosine kinases. The microdomains are postulated to be involved in GPI-anchored protein signaling via src-family kinase. Here, the functional roles of GSLs in signal transduction mediated by the microdomains are discussed. Antibodies against GSLs co-precipitate GPI-anchored proteins, src-family kinases and several components of the microdomains. Antibody-mediated crosslinking of GSLs, as well as that of GPI-anchored proteins, induces a rapid activation of src-family kinases and a transient increase in the tyrosine phosphorylation of several substrates. Enzymatic degradation of GSLs reduces the activation of src-family kinase and tyrosine phosphorylation by antibody-mediated crosslinking of GPI-anchored protein. Furthermore, GSLs can also modulate signal transduction of immunoreceptors and growth factor receptors in the microdomains. Thus, GSLs have important roles in signal transduction mediated by the microdomains.