Cerebrosides
Cerebrosides are sphingolipids made by attaching a sugar to a ceramide (Figure 10.8). Cerebrosides are prominent components of membranes, particularly in the brain. Since they contain a sugar, cerebrosides are also called glycosphingolipids. Cerebrosides are distinguished from gangliosides in that the latter contain at least one sialic acid within them. Cerebrosides differ from globosides in that the latter contain multiple sugar moieties, whereas cerebrosides only contain one.

The most common cerebrosides include galactosylceramide, glucosylceramide, and sulfatides (see Figure 19.14 for synthesis scheme). Sulfatides are made by transferring a sulfate group to a galactosylceramide (Figure 19.14).

Deficiencies in enzymes involved in catabolism of cerebrosides lead to sphingolipidosis. These give rise to the following diseases - Gaucher's Disease (deficiency of -glucosidase -#4), Globoid cell leukodystrophy (deficiency of galactosidase - #7), and metachromatic leukodystrophy (deficiency of arylsulfatase A - #8). These enzymes are depicted in Table 19.1 and Figure 19.16 consistent with the numbers shown in red above.

See also: Sphingolipids, Glycosphingolipids, Gangliosides, Sialic Acid, Globosides