Lipid membrane domains in the brain
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1
University of Milano, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Italy
The brain is characterized by the presence of cell types with very different functional specialization, but with the common trait of a very high complexity of structures originated by their plasma membranes. Brain cells bear evident membrane polarization with the creation of different morphological and functional subcompartments, whose formation, stabilization and function require a very high level of lateral order within the membrane. In other words, the membrane specialization of brain cells implies the presence of distinct membrane domains. Sphingolipids polar membrane lipids present as minor components in eukaryotic cell membranes, but highly enriched in nervous cells, deeply affect the structural and geometrical properties and the lateral order of cellular membranes, and modulate the function of several membrane-associated proteins. Sphingolipid metabolism is regulated along the differentiation and development of the nervous system, and the expression of a peculiar spatially and temporarily regulated sphingolipid pattern is essential for the maintenance of the functional integrity of the nervous system. In several neurodegenerative disease, sphingolipid metabolism is deeply deregulated, leading to the expression of abnormal sphingolipid patterns and altered membrane organization, that participate to several events related to the pathogenesis of these diseases. Targeting sphingolipid metabolism and lipid rafts organization represents today an underexploited but realistic.
Keywords:
Nervous System,
Sphingolipids,
Lipid,
plasma membranes,
membrane polarization
Conference:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 27 Aug - 30 Aug, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Symposium 12: Glycolipids and the Regulation of Complex Networks in Neural Membranes
Topic:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry
Citation:
Prinetti
A and
Sonnino
S
(2016). Lipid membrane domains in the brain.
Conference Abstract:
14th Meeting of the Asian-Pacific Society for Neurochemistry.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fncel.2016.36.00049
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Received:
26 Jul 2016;
Published Online:
11 Aug 2016.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Alessandro Prinetti, University of Milano, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Milano, Italy, alessandro.prinetti@unimi.it