title: Modulation of cell functions by glycosphingolipid metabolic remodeling in the plasma membrane.
abstract: The endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus are the subcellular sites for glycosphingolipid neobiosynthesis. In addition to this very well-established knowledge, it is now emerging that post-Golgi changes in glycosphingolipid structures occurring at the plasma membrane are an important opportunity to modulate cell glycosphingolipid composition and to affect consequently a number of signaling processes. In fact, it is possible to modify very rapidly the membrane organization by the modulation of plasma membrane-associated enzymes through external stimuli, thus affecting the membrane environment and the functional properties of plasma membrane proteins involved in cell signaling. The number of enzymes for glycosphingolipid metabolism that have been shown to be associated with the plasma membrane and the information on their features are growing very rapidly, and today some of these enzymes have been deeply characterized. In this review, we focus on the possible role and on the involvement of these plasma membrane-associated enzymes in modulating cell functions.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Milan, Segrate, Italy. alessandro.prinetti@unimi.it
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prinetti
authors.forename: Vanna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chigorno
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Loberto
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonnino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids