title: Biophysics of sphingolipids I. Membrane properties of sphingosine, ceramides and other simple sphingolipids.
abstract: Some of the simplest sphingolipids, namely sphingosine, ceramide, some closely related molecules (eicosasphingosine, phytosphingosine), and their phosphorylated compounds (sphingosine-1-phosphate, ceramide-1-phosphate), are potent metabolic regulators. Each of these lipids modifies in marked and specific ways the physical properties of the cell membranes, in what can be the basis for some of their physiological actions. This paper reviews the mechanisms by which these sphingolipid signals, sphingosine and ceramide in particular, are able to modify the properties of cell membranes.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Biofísica (Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU), Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad del País Vasco, Aptdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain. felix.goni@ehu.es
authors.forename: Félix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goñi
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry; D013107:Sphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D010743:Phospholipids; D013107:Sphingolipids; D013110:Sphingosine