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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Mitochondria-associated ER Membranes (MAMs) and Glycosphingolipid Enriched Microdomains (GEMs): Isolation from Mouse Brain
Published on: March 4, 2013
Glycosphingolipids and mitochondria: role in apoptosis and disease
Albert Morales1, Anna Colell, Montserrat Mari
1Liver Unit, Instituto de Malalties Digestives, Hospital Clinic i Provincial, Instituto Investigaciones Biomédicas August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona 08036, Spain.
Abstract:
Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) comprise a class of lipids with important structural and signaling functions. Synthesized from ceramide in the Golgi, they are subsequently distributed to different compartments, most predominantly in the plasma membrane where they integrate signaling platforms. A recently characterized trafficking of ganglioside GD3 (GD3), a GSLs with two sialic-acid residues, to mitochondria has revealed a novel function of this lipid as a death effector. In addition to the interaction of GD3 with mitochondria recruiting these organelles to apoptotic pathways, GD3 disables survival paths dependent on NF-kappaB, thus favoring the balance towards cell death. The present review gathers the evidence documenting this emerging function of GSLs in cell death and their involvement in pathological states.
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