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Related Concept Videos

Membrane Lipids01:32

Membrane Lipids

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Lipids are an essential component of all biological membranes. The average lipid content in mammalian membranes is 50%, though it can be as low as 20% in the inner mitochondrial membrane or as high as 80% in the myelin sheath present around the nerve cells.
Phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin are the most common phospholipids present in mammalian membranes. At physiological pH, phosphatidylserine is negatively charged, while the other three...
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Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer01:35

Asymmetric Lipid Bilayer

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Biological membranes show uneven distribution of different types of lipids in the inner and outer layers, resulting in transverse asymmetric membranes. The treatment of the erythrocyte membrane with the enzyme phospholipase confirmed the asymmetric nature of the lipid bilayer. The enzyme hydrolyzes lipids into fatty acids and hydrophilic groups. The phospholipase acts only on the outer layer of the membrane, while the inner layer remains intact. The phospholipase treatment resulted in 80%...
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Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism01:28

Overview of Fatty Acid Metabolism

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Lipids also are sources of energy that power cellular processes. Like carbohydrates, lipids are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, but these atoms are arranged differently. Most lipids are nonpolar and hydrophobic. Major types include fats and oils, waxes, phospholipids, and steroids.
Fatty acids are catabolized in a process called beta-oxidation, which takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria and converts their fatty acid chains into two-carbon units of acetyl groups. The acetyl...
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What are Lipids?01:31

What are Lipids?

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Lipids function as structural components of cellular membranes, in addition to acting as energy reservoirs and signaling molecules. They are thus crucial to all living organisms.  The three biologically important classes of lipids are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids.
Non-Polar and Hydrophobic Characteristics of Lipids
Lipids are a structurally and functionally diverse group of hydrocarbons—compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The carbon-carbon and...
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Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane01:27

Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine in the ER Membrane

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The ER synthesizes lipids for building cell membranes and performing cellular functions such as energy storage and signaling. The lipid synthesis machinery embedded in the ER membrane primarily collects all reactants from the cytosol. Following synthesis, the secretory pathway and the ER contact sites distribute these lipids to other cellular organelles. Additionally, the energy-rich triacylglycerides are transported from the ER via lipid droplets.
The major components of all eukaryotic cell...
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Membrane Fluidity01:23

Membrane Fluidity

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Cell membranes are composed of phospholipids, proteins, and carbohydrates loosely attached to one another through chemical interactions. Molecules are generally able to move about in the plane of the membrane, giving the membrane its flexible nature called fluidity. Two other features of the membrane contribute to membrane fluidity: the chemical structure of the phospholipids and the presence of cholesterol in the membrane.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Quantitative and Qualitative Method for Sphingomyelin by LC-MS Using Two Stable Isotopically Labeled Sphingomyelin Species
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Quantitative and Qualitative Method for Sphingomyelin by LC-MS Using Two Stable Isotopically Labeled Sphingomyelin Species

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Sphingolipids and Cholesterol.

Xian-Cheng Jiang1, Zhiqiang Li2

  • 1Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA. xian-cheng.jiang@downstate.edu.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|May 3, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Sphingolipids and cholesterol form crucial microdomains in cell membranes and lipoproteins for lipid transport. Their relationship impacts cell function and the development of metabolic diseases.

Keywords:
Cell membrane lipidsCholesterolLipids in the circulationSphingolipidsSphingomyelin

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Quantitative and Qualitative Method for Sphingomyelin by LC-MS Using Two Stable Isotopically Labeled Sphingomyelin Species
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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Metabolic Research

Background:

  • Sphingolipids and cholesterol are key lipids involved in cellular membrane structure and function.
  • They form specialized microdomains known as lipid rafts, mediating specific cellular processes.
  • These lipids are also critical components of plasma lipoproteins, essential for lipid transport in circulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the intricate relationship between sphingolipids and cholesterol.
  • To examine their roles in both cellular membranes and systemic lipid transport.
  • To explore the implications of this lipid partnership in metabolic disease pathogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on lipid interactions.
  • Analysis of biochemical pathways involving sphingolipids and cholesterol.
  • Examination of data linking lipid metabolism to metabolic disorders.

Main Results:

  • Sphingolipids and cholesterol dynamically interact within lipid rafts, influencing membrane fluidity and signaling.
  • Their co-localization on lipoproteins like LDL and HDL is vital for efficient lipid transport.
  • Dysregulation of sphingolipid-cholesterol interactions is implicated in conditions such as atherosclerosis and diabetes.

Conclusions:

  • The interplay between sphingolipids and cholesterol is fundamental to cellular organization and physiological lipid homeostasis.
  • Understanding this relationship offers insights into the molecular basis of metabolic diseases.
  • Targeting sphingolipid-cholesterol interactions may present novel therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders.