EFFECT OF PSYCHOSINE ON MODEL LIPID MEMBRANES

YENISLEIDY DE LAS MERCEDES ZULUETA DIAZ; MARÍA L. FANANI; SOFIA CABY

Buenos Aires

Congreso; Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de BioCiencias; 2017

Psychosine o â-galactosylsphingosine (PSY) is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of sphingolipids occurring in the lysosome lumen. It is degraded by the enzyme â-galactosylceramidase. A deficient of this enzymatic activity results in the progressive accumulation of PSY 10- 100 folds above it normal concetration, being responsible for the Krabbe disease or Globoid cell leukodystrophy.This is an inherited autosomal disorder that leads to demyelination, infiltration of macro phages into the brain parenchyma and early death. Several evidences proposes that this amphiphilic molecule exerts its pathological effect by partitioning into membranes and affecting it function. Additionally, it is known that PSY is hemolytic and induces permeabilization of liposomes.