Glycosylated glycerophospholipids

The glycosylated GPLs comprise the well-established PI lipid anchors and the newly discovered glucosylation products of the aminophospholipids. Despite the glycation these PLs retain their lipid properties, which is essential for their function. 

The amounts of aldehydic GPL should be closely related to the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as arachidonic acid, because the main accumulation of aldehydic residues was observed in highly PUFA-rich GPE, whereas generation of aldehydes even in PUFA GPC was rather limited. 

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Bacteria also contain a very rich variety of glycolipids with unusual structures. Lipid A13 is the site of attachement of the 0-specific chain of Gram (-) bacteria, which constitutes the antigenic lipopolysaccharide [87]. Other members of this family can be quoted, for example glycosyl glycerophospholipids in which the carbohydrate and glycerol moieties are linked by a phosphodiester bond (e.g. GPI anchor 14) [88] or carbohydrate esters (e.g. cord-factor of mycobacteria 15). 

Glycerophospholipids and cholesterol join together with specialized glycosyl ph osphatidylinositol—linked proteins to form lipid domains or rafts, which move together as a unit laterally through the membrane. 

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