Ceramides nonhydroxylated

Moreover, the carbon atom linked to the carbonyl group of the acyl chain (named C in a, or Ca) may either display or not display a hydroxyl group (Fig. 1.20). Correspondingly, ceramides can contain an a-hydroxylated fatty acyl (HFA-ceramides) or a standard nonhydroxylated... 

FIGURE 1.20 a-Hydroxylated and nonhydroxylated ceramides. a is the first carbon after the carbonyl group of the acyl chain (it corresponds to A2 in the A numbering system of fetty adds). HFA refers to a-hydroxylated fatty add, and NFA to nonhydroxylated fatty acid. 

FIGURE 4.4 Two versions of ceramides coexist in the brain. HFA, a-hydroxylated acyl chain (ceramide-HFA for a-hydroxylated fatty acid) NFA, nonhydroxylated acyl chain (ceramide-NFA for nonhydroxylated fatty acid). These two distinct types of ceramides are represented in tube (A) or spheres (B). The aOH group of ceramide-HFA is indicated by an arrow. 

Hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) A fatty acid with a OH group linked to carbon C2 (also referred to as a). Ceramide with a hydroxyacyl chain is referred to as ceramide-HFA. If the acyl chain is nonhydroxylated, the ceramide is referred to as ceramide-NFA. 

---