Phospholipids,

Glycerophospholipids,
Sphingomyelin,
Glycolipids
PRESENTED BY: AYESHA KABEER
Phospholipids are:

• major constituents of all cell membranes

• components of bile
• anchor some proteins in membranes
• signal mediators
• components of lipoproteins
 Structure of phospholipids
• Phospholipids have two fatty acids that help form a diacylglycerol. The third
carbon of the glycerol backbone is also occupied by a modified phosphate
group However, just a phosphate group attached to a diacylglycerol does
not qualify as a phospholipid. This would be considered a phosphatidate or
phosphatidic acid (diacylglycerol 3-phosphate), the precursor to
phospholipids. To qualify as a phospholipid, the phosphate group should be
modified by an alcohol. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine are
examples of two important phospholipids that are found in plasma
membranes.
Phospholipid
Properties of phospholipids
• Phospholipids are amphipathic molecules
• Head group = alcohol attached via phosphodiester linkage
to either:
• diacylglycerol (glycerophospholipid) or
• sphingosine (sphingophospholipid = sphingomyelin).
Cellular membranes are composed of phospholipids and sphingolipids

• Glycerophospholipids and sphingolipids spontaneously self-associate

in water to form bilayer vesicles (i.e., closed membranes)
• Bilayers are permeability barriers that enclose cells and cell organelles,
and “dissolve” intrinsic membrane proteins
 Glycerophospholipids
• Glycerophospholipids are the main class of phospholipids
• They are the main lipid component of cell membranes, and
are important in the cell’s semipermeability
• They also interact with triacylglycerols and cholesterol to
increase their solubility in the blood
• These abilities of glycerophospholipids are due to their
amphipathic nature, with a polar head group and nonpolar
tails

Fatty acid

Fatty acid
Glycerol

Amino
PO4
alcohol
• Glycerophospholipids are similar to triacylglycerols, but have one ester
bond replaced with an amino alcohol phosphate ester.i.e.

Glycerophospholipid
 O
Each
O
glycerophospholipid H2 C

O
includes O
HC O P
 a polar
region: C2
O X
glycerol, carbonyl O
R2
of fatty acids, Pi, & the O

polar head group (X) R1 glycerophospholipid

C O CH
polar
 non-polar hydrocarbon
"kink" due to
tails of fatty acids (R 1, R 2). double bond non-polar
Structure of a Glycerophospholipid
 Lecithins and Cephalins
• Glycerophospholipids can be classified based on the amino alcohol
group
• Two common types are lecithins (which contain choline) and
cephalins (which contain ethanolamine)
• Lecithins and cephalins are highly abundant in brain and nerve
tissues, and are also found in egg yolks, wheat germ and
yeast
 O

O H2 C O C R2

R1 C O CH O

H2 C O P O
H
O
OH
OH H OH
OH H
phosphatidyl H H
- inositol H OH

Phosphatidylinositol, with inositol as polar head

group, is one glycerophospholipid.
In addition to being a membrane lipid,
phosphatidylinositol has roles in cell signaling.
The other one is cardiolipin. Cardiolipin is
found in mitochondrial membrane.
 Sphingomyelin

• Sphingomyelins are phospholipids that are based on the 18-

carbon amino alcohol sphingosine, instead of on glycerol
• A fatty acid is linked to the amine group by an amide bond, and
an amino alcohol phosphate ester is linked to the bottom
hydroxyl group (the top hydroxyl group remains free)
• Sphingomyelin is the main component of the myelin sheath of
nerve cells
 OH OH
H
H2C C CH

The amino group of sphingosine can H3N+ CH

form an amide bond with a fatty acid HC

carboxyl, to yield a ceramide.
(CH 2 )12
OH OH
sphingosine CH 3
H
H2C C
CH

O NH
C HC

R
CH In the more complex sphingolipids, a
(CH2 )12 polar “head group" is esterified to the
ceramid
e
CH3 terminal hydroxyl of the sphingosine
moiety of the ceramide.
 CH3 O
H2 
H3 C +
N H2 C P O
C O
Sphingomyelin has CH3 O OH
a phosphocholine or phosphocholine H
CH
phosphethanolamine H2 C
C
head group. sphingosine NH CH

Sphingomyelins are O C HC
common constituent fatty
of plasma acid R (CH2 )12
Sphingomyelin
membranes. CH 3

Sphingomyelin, with a phosphocholine head group, is

similar in size and shape to the glycerophospholipid
phosphatidyl choline.
 Glycolipids(glycosphingolipids)
• Glycolipids are sphingolipids that have one or more
monosaccharides linked by glycosidic bonds to the bottom
hydroxyl of the sphingosine.
• In contrast to sphingomyelin they do not have a
phosphocholine group.
 Types of Glycolipids(glycosphingolipids)

• Cerebrosides have a single monosaccharide (usually galactose)

- they are usually present at the cell surface, and are involved in
cellular recognition and immunity
 Types of Glycolipids(glycosphingolipids)
• Gangliosides have two or more monosaccharides, usually
glucose and galactose
- they are abundant in the cell membranes of neurons
- they act at the cell surface as receptors for hormones
Functions of glycolipids