title: Biophysical properties of sphingosine, ceramides and other simple sphingolipids.
abstract: Some of the simplest sphingolipids, namely sphingosine, ceramide and their phosphorylated compounds [sphingosine 1-phosphate (Sph-1-P) and ceramide 1-phosphate (Cer-1-P)], 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. The present paper is an overview of 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 (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad del País Vasco, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Félix M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Goñi
authors.affiliation: *Unidad de Biofísica (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad del País Vasco, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sot
authors.affiliation: *Unidad de Biofísica (CSIC, UPV/EHU) and Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidad del País Vasco, P.O. Box 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002463:Cell Membrane Permeability; D021961:Cell Membrane Structures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D002518:Ceramides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D008051:Lipid Bilayers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008246:Lysophospholipids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002518:Ceramides; D008051:Lipid Bilayers; D008246:Lysophospholipids; C065576:ceramide 1-phosphate; C060506:sphingosine 1-phosphate; D013110:Sphingosine