Ceramides are involved in a variety of cellular processes and in disease. Their biological
functions are thought to depend on ceramides' unique biophysical properties, which …

Amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, has been used in the clinic to treat a number of
disorders, in particular major depression and neuropathic pain. In the 1970s the ability of …

Sphingolipids are structural components in the plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells. Their
metabolism produces bioactive signaling molecules that modulate fundamental cellular …

Simple bioactive sphingolipids include ceramide, sphingosine and their phosphorylated
forms sphingosine 1-phosphate and ceramide 1-phosphate. These molecules are crucial …

As pattern recognition receptor on dendritic cells (DCs), DC-SIGN binds carbohydrate
structures on its pathogen ligands and essentially determines host pathogen interactions …

Abstract Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-bisphosphate [PI (4, 5) P 2] is a minor lipid of the inner
leaflet of the plasma membrane that controls the activity of numerous proteins and serves as …

Silencing of T cell activation and function is a highly efficient strategy of immunosuppression
induced by pathogens. By promoting formation of membrane microdomains essential for …

Transmembrane adaptor proteins (TRAPs) are structurally related proteins that have no
enzymatic function, but enable inducible recruitment of effector molecules to the plasma …

The biochemical composition and biophysical properties of cell membranes are
hypothesized to affect cellular processes such as phagocytosis. Here, we examined the …

Lysenin is a self-assembling, pore-forming toxin which specifically recognizes
sphingomyelin. Mutation of tryptophan 20 abolishes lysenin oligomerization and cytolytic …