Is myelin a sulfatide?

Nervous system. In the nervous system, sulfatide is abundant in the myelin sheath and comprises 4% of total myelin lipids (23).

What do Sulfatides do?

Increasingly, reports have suggested that sulfatide has important functions not only as a structural component of membranes but also in diverse biological processes, including developmental signaling, axon-myelin interactions, regulation of cell growth, protein trafficking, cell adhesion, and neuronal plasticity (4, 5) …

What type of lipid is sulfatide?

Sulfatide, also known as 3-O-sulfogalactosylceramide, SM4, or sulfated galactocerebroside, is a class of sulfolipids, specifically a class of sulfoglycolipids, which are glycolipids that contain a sulfate group.

What are the components of galactocerebroside?

A galactosylceramide, or galactocerebroside is a type of cerebroside consisting of a ceramide with a galactose residue at the 1-hydroxyl moiety. The galactose is cleaved by galactosylceramidase. Galactosylceramide is a marker for oligodendrocytes in the brain, whether or not they form myelin.

What are leukodystrophies?

Leukodystrophies are a group of rare neurological (nervous system) diseases. They affect the white matter in the brain and spinal cord. White matter is tissue made of insulated nerve fibers. Leukodystrophies target myelin, which is the protective insulation covering nerve cells.

What is the myelin sheath?

Myelin is an insulating layer, or sheath that forms around nerves, including those in the brain and spinal cord. It is made up of protein and fatty substances. This myelin sheath allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along the nerve cells.

What is the difference between Cerebrosides and gangliosides?

Cerebrosides consist of a ceramide linked to a sugar group, while the more complex gangliosides contain a ceramide, a number of sugar groups, and sialic acid.

What are Cerebrosides and gangliosides?

Cerebrosides are neutral compounds that consist of ceramide (sphingosine and FA) and a monosaccharide bound by a β-glycosidic bond to the C1 of esfingol. Glucocerebrosides (glucose bound to ceramide) are found in very small proportions in the body, along with galactocerebrosides.

Are all leukodystrophy fatal?

Currently, over 40 different leukodystrophies have been described. These are, by definition, progressive diseases, meaning that the disease gets worse throughout a lifetime. Some of these diseases start in early infancy, progress rapidly, and are fatal, while others only affect adults or progress slowly over decades.

How is sulfatide used in the treatment of diabetes?

Such anti-sulfatide antibodies prevent insulin secretion and exocytosis. However, research has shown that when non-obese diabetic mice are treated with sulfatide, it reduces the possible occurrence of diabetes from 85% in control animals to 35% in experimental animals. Sulfatide is also commonly known to possess anti-inflammatory properties.

What causes the accumulation of sulfatide in the body?

Accumulation of sulfatide can cause metachromatic leukodystrophy, a lysosomal storage disease and may be caused because of a defect in arylsulfatase A, leading to an inability to degrade sulfatide. Sulfatide participates in many biological systems and functions, including the nervous system, the immune system, and in haemostasis / thrombosis.

How does sulfatide play a role in myelin maintenance?

Sulfatide has also been shown to play a role in myelin maintenance and glial-axon signaling, which was indicated by research in older cerebroside sulfotransferase (CST)-deficient mice. These mice had vacuolar degeneration, uncompacted myelin, and moderate demyelination of the spinal cord.

How does the endocrine part of the pancreas work?

The endocrine component of the pancreas consists of islet cells (islets of Langerhans) that create and release important hormones directly into the bloodstream. Two of the main pancreatic hormones are insulin, which acts to lower blood sugar, and glucagon, which acts to raise blood sugar.