Role of Globotriaosylceramide in Physiology and Pathology

ANA CELI; PINTO A; ROSATO-SIRI, MARÍA VICTORIA; GOLDSTEIN J

Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

Frontiers Media S.A.

Año: 2022 vol. 9

Atfirst glance, the biological function of globoside (Gb) clusters appears to be that ofglycosphingolipid (GSL) receptors for bacterial toxins that mediate host-pathogeninteraction. Indeed, certain bacterial toxin families have been evolutionarily arranged sothat they can enter eukaryotic cells through GSL receptors. A closer look reveals thismolecular arrangement allocated on a variety of eukaryotic cell membranes, with its rolerevolving around physiological regulation and pathological processes. What makes Gbsuch a ubiquitous functional arrangement? Perhaps its peculiarity is underpinned by themolecular structure itself, the nature of Gb-bound ligands, or the intracellular traffickingunleashed by those ligands. Moreover, Gb biological conspicuousness may not lie onintrinsic properties or on its enzymatic synthesis/degradation pathways. The presentreview traverses these biological aspects, focusing mainly on globotriaosylceramide (Gb3),a GSL molecule present in cell membranes of distinct cell types, and proposes a wrap-updiscussion with a phylogenetic view and the physiological and pathological functionalalternatives.