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Review
. 2011 May 1;3(5):a004762.
doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a004762.

Distribution and functions of sterols and sphingolipids

J Thomas Hannich  1 , Kyohei Umebayashi, Howard Riezman
Affiliations
Review

Distribution and functions of sterols and sphingolipids

J Thomas Hannich et al. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. .

Abstract

Sterols and sphingolipids are considered mainly eukaryotic lipids even though both are present in some prokaryotes, with sphingolipids being more widespread than sterols. Both sterols and sphingolipids differ in their structural features in vertebrates, plants, and fungi. Interestingly, some invertebrates cannot synthesize sterols de novo and seem to have a reduced dependence on sterols. Sphingolipids and sterols are found in the plasma membrane, but we do not have a clear picture of their precise intracellular localization. Advances in lipidomics and subcellular fractionation should help to improve this situation. Genetic approaches have provided insights into the diversity of sterol and sphingolipid functions in eukaryotes providing evidence that these two lipid classes function together. Intermediates in sphingolipid biosynthesis and degradation are involved in signaling pathways, whereas sterol structures are converted to hormones. Both lipids have been implicated in regulating membrane trafficking.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Regulation of Tat2 sorting to the vacuole. (Upper left) Following starvation, the TOR signaling pathway is inactivated. This leads to ubiquitin-dependent sorting of both newly synthesized and plasma membrane-localized Tat2 to the vacuole. (Upper right) Exogeneous PHS down-regulates Tat2, possibly by ubiquitination and vacuolar sorting. Signals activated by PHS remain to be elucidated. (Lower) In erg mutants, Tat2 is inappropriately ubiquitinated and sorted to the vacuole, not the plasma membrane. One possible reason is that Tat2 is misfolded by the altered sterol and sphingolipid composition. Alternatively, the sterol mutants may be defective in nutrient sensing.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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