Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2022;1372:1-14. doi: 10.1007/978-981-19-0394-6_1.
Sphingolipids and cholesterol are two lipid partners on cellular membranes where they form specific microdomains, named lipid rafts, which mediate specific cell functions. Sphingomyelin (SM) is one of the major sphingolipids. SM and free cholesterol are also two key lipids on the monolayer of plasma lipoproteins, including chylomicron, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which participate in lipid transport in the circulation. Thus, sphingolipids and cholesterol play a fundamental role in cell membrane structure and blood lipid transport. In this chapter we will discuss the relationship between both lipids, on the cell membrane and in the circulation, as well as the impact of such relationship in the development of metabolic diseases.
鞘脂类和胆固醇是细胞膜上的两种脂质伴侣，它们在细胞膜上形成特定的微域，称为脂筏，这些微域调节特定的细胞功能。鞘磷脂 (SM) 是主要的鞘脂类之一。SM 和游离胆固醇也是脂蛋白单层（包括乳糜微粒、极低密度脂蛋白 (VLDL)、低密度脂蛋白 (LDL) 和高密度脂蛋白 (HDL)）上的两种关键脂质，这些脂质参与血液循环中的脂质转运。因此，鞘脂类和胆固醇在细胞膜结构和血液脂质转运中起着至关重要的作用。在本章中，我们将讨论细胞膜和循环系统中这两种脂质之间的关系，以及这种关系对代谢性疾病发展的影响。
