Glycosphingolipid and Glycosylphosphatidylinositol Affect Each Other in and on the Cell.

ABSTRACT

Glycosphingolipid (GSL) and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) are the two major glycolipids expressed by eukaryotic cells, and their metabolisms share the same machineries. Moreover, both GSLs and GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are localized in the cholesterol-rich regions, namely the lipid rafts, of the cell membrane, where many other signaling molecules are compartmentalized as well. Therefore, the interaction between GSLs and GPI-APs and their interactions with other molecules in the lipid rafts are inevitable. This review is focused on the influences of GSLs and GPI-APs on each other's biosynthesis, trafficking, cell membrane distribution, and biological functions, such as signal transduction.