The role of 3-O-sulfogalactosylceramide, sulfatide, in the lateral organization of myelin membrane

Sulfatide (3-O-sulfogalactosylceramide, SM4s) was isolated by Thudichum from the human brain in 1884. Together with galactosylceramide, its direct metabolic precursor in the biosynthetic pathway, sulfatide is highly enriched in myelin in the central and peripheral nervous system, and it has been implicated in several aspects of the biology of myelin-forming cells. Studies obtained using galactolipid-deficient mice strongly support the notion that sulfatide plays critical roles in the correct structure and function of myelin membrane. A number of papers are suggesting that these roles are mediated by a specific function of sulfatide in the lateral organization of myelin membrane, thus affecting the sorting, lateral assembly, membrane dynamics and also the function of specific myelin proteins in different substructures of the myelin sheath. The consequences of altered sulfatide metabolism and sulfatide-mediated myelin organization with respect to myelin diseases are still poorly understood, but it’s very likely that sulfatide might represent not only a critical player in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease, but also a potentially promising therapeutic target.