title: Organization of the synthesis of glycolipid oligosaccharides in the Golgi complex.
abstract: Glycolipids constitute a complex family of amphipathic molecules structurally characterized by a hydrophilic mono- or oligo-saccharide moiety linked to a hydrophobic ceramide moiety. Due to their asymmetric distribution in cell membranes, exposing the saccharide moiety to the extracytoplasmic side of the cell, glycolipids participate in a variety of cell-cell and cell-ligand interactions. Here we summarize aspects of the cell biology of the stepwise synthesis of the saccharide moiety in the Golgi complex of cells from vertebrates. In particular we refer to the participant glycosyltransferases, with emphasis on their trafficking along the secretory pathway, their retention and organization in the Golgi complex membranes and their dependence on the Golgi complex ultra structural organization for proper function.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Química Biológica de Córdoba, CIQUIBIC (UNC-CONICET), Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. maccioni@dqb.fcq.unc.edu.ar
authors.forename: Hugo J F
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Maccioni
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quiroga
authors.forename: Waldo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spessott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D006017:Glycolipids; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D016695:Glycosyltransferases