Glucosylceramides are formed by the tethering of glucose to a ceramide by glucosylceramides synthase.1 They are present in neuronal and non-neuronal mammalian tissues and are found at low quantities in a large number of plant species, where they comprise 5-30% of total lipids in the plant plasma membrane, and in fungi.1,2,3 Glucosylceramides levels decrease during cold acclimatization in plants and glucosylceramides in fungi are involved in the regulation of virulence and act as elicitors in plants, stimulating plant defense mechanisms.3,4 Glucosylceramides are precursors in the synthesis of lactosylceramides and gangliosides. Increased levels of glucosylceramides are associated with obesity-induced insulin resistance in mice and with neuronal deficits observed in neuronopathic Gaucher disease.1,5 This product contains glucosylceramide molecular species with primarily C22:0, C23:0, and C24:0 fatty acyl chain lengths. As this product is derived from a natural source, there may be variations in the sphingoid backbone. [Matreya, LLC. Catalog No. 1521]
1.Holland, W.L., and Summers, S.A.Sphingolipids, insulin resistance, and metabolic disease: New insights from in vivo manipulation of sphingolipid metabolismEndocr. Rev.29(4)381-402(2008) 2.Cahoon, E.B., and Lynch, D.V.Analysis of glucocerebrosides of rye (Secale cereale L. cv Puma) leaf and plasma membranePlant Physiol.95(1)56-68(1991) 3.Lynch, D.V., and Dunn, T.M.An introduction to plant sphingolipids and a review of recent advances in understanding their metabolism and functionNew Phytol.161(3)667-702(2004) 4.Rollin-Pinheiro, R., Bernardino, M.C., and Barreto-Bergter, E.Sphingolipids: Functional and biological aspects in mammals, plants, and fungiAnalysis of membrane lipids21-40(2020) 5.Dai, M., Liou, B., Swope, B., et al.Progression of behavioral and CNS deficits in a viable murine model of chronic neuronopathic Gaucher diseasePLoS One11(9)e0162367(2016)