Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milano, 20090 Segrate, Milano, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jan 29;21(3):868. doi: 10.3390/ijms21030868.
Many species of ganglioside GM1, differing for the sialic acid and ceramide content, have been characterized and their physico-chemical properties have been studied in detail since 1963. Scientists were immediately attracted to the GM1 molecule and have carried on an ever-increasing number of studies to understand its binding properties and its neurotrophic and neuroprotective role. GM1 displays a well balanced amphiphilic behavior that allows to establish strong both hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions. The peculiar structure of GM1 reduces the fluidity of the plasma membrane which implies a retention and enrichment of the ganglioside in specific membrane domains called lipid rafts. The dynamism of the GM1 oligosaccharide head allows it to assume different conformations and, in this way, to interact through hydrogen or ionic bonds with a wide range of membrane receptors as well as with extracellular ligands. After more than 60 years of studies, it is a milestone that GM1 is one of the main actors in determining the neuronal functions that allows humans to have an intellectual life. The progressive reduction of its biosynthesis along the lifespan is being considered as one of the causes underlying neuronal loss in aged people and severe neuronal decline in neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we report on the main knowledge on ganglioside GM1, with an emphasis on the recent discoveries about its bioactive component.
自 1963 年以来，已经鉴定出许多种神经节苷脂 GM1，它们在唾液酸和神经酰胺含量上有所不同，其物理化学性质也得到了详细研究。科学家们立刻被 GM1 分子所吸引，并进行了越来越多的研究，以了解其结合特性及其神经营养和神经保护作用。GM1 表现出良好的两亲性行为，允许建立强大的疏水和亲水相互作用。GM1 的特殊结构降低了质膜的流动性，这意味着神经节苷脂在特定的膜区域（称为脂筏）中被保留和富集。GM1 寡糖头部的动态性允许它采用不同的构象，并通过氢键或离子键与广泛的膜受体以及细胞外配体相互作用。经过 60 多年的研究，GM1 是决定神经元功能的主要因素之一，这是一个里程碑，使人类能够拥有智力生活。随着寿命的延长，其生物合成的逐渐减少被认为是导致老年人神经元丧失和神经退行性疾病中严重神经元衰退的原因之一。在这篇综述中，我们报告了关于神经节苷脂 GM1 的主要知识，重点介绍了关于其生物活性成分的最新发现。
