title: Synthesis of potentially caged sphingolipids, possible precursors of cellular modulators and second messengers.
abstract: An increasing number of sphingolipids, glycosphingolipids and some of their degradation products have been recognized in recent years as second messengers involved in signal transduction and as modulators of numerous cellular functions. These can be converted into inert, caged compounds, introduced into cells and tissues and subsequently photolysed to active compounds thus enabling the study of fast biological processes. The novel, potentially caged compounds synthesized here are substituted 2-nitrobenzyl urethans and 2-nitrobenzyl amines derived from sphingosine, dihydrosphingosine, N-methylsphingosine, N-methyldihydrosphingosine, psychosine and glucosylsphingosine. Upon irradiation of the afore mentioned compounds they release, or are expected to release, the free biologically active amines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Food Sciences and Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. zehavi@agri.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zehavi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011609:Psychosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D015290:Second Messenger Systems; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000502:physiology*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: C106700:4-methylsphingosine; D013107:Sphingolipids; D011609:Psychosine; C035742:sphingosyl beta-glucoside; D013110:Sphingosine; C005682:safingol