3-O-Sulfogalactosylceramide (d18:1/24:0) (CHEM003387)

3-O-Sulfogalactosylceramide is an acidic, sulfated glycosphingolipid, often known as sulfatide. This lipid occurs in membranes of various cell types, but is found in particularly high concentrations in myelin where it constitutes 3-4% of total membrane lipids. This lipid is synthesized primarily in the oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system. Accumulation of this lipid in the lysosomes is a characteristic of metachromatic leukodystrophy, a lysosomal storage disease caused by the deficiency of arylsulfatase A. Alterations in sulfatide metabolism, trafficking, and homeostasis are present in the earliest clinically recognizable stages of Alzheimer's disease. Cerebrosides are glycosphingolipids. There are four types of glycosphingolipids, the cerebrosides, sulfatides, globosides and gangliosides. Cerebrosides have a single sugar group linked to ceramide. The most common are galactocerebrosides (containing galactose), the least common are glucocerebrosides (containing glucose). Galactocerebrosides are found predominantly in neuronal cell membranes. In contrast glucocerebrosides are not normally found in membranes. Instead, they are typically intermediates in the synthesis or degradation of more complex glycosphingolipids. Galactocerebrosides are synthesized from ceramide and UDP-galactose. Excess lysosomal accumulation of glucocerebrosides is found in Gaucher disease. Sulfatides are glycosphingolipids. There are four types of glycosphingolipids, the cerebrosides, sulfatides, globosides and gangliosides. Sulfatides are the sulfuric acid esters of galactocerebrosides. They are synthesized from galactocerebrosides and activated sulfate, 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS).