Gangliosides: Synthesis and function in nervous tissues

Abstract

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, have been considered to be involved in the development and functions of the nervous system. Recent progress in the genetic analysis of gangliosides in cultured cells and experimental animals revealed their roles in the maintenance of integrity of nervous tissues and neuroregeneration. The fact that ganglioside-deficient mice exhibited milder abnormalities than expected suggests that compensatory actions of remaining glycolipids might be present, and complex knockout of multiple glycosyltransferase genes might be useful to clarify essential roles of gangliosides.