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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. 2007 Oct 13;85(1-2):1–16. doi: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2007.10.002

Figure 2. Core Structure of sphingolipids.

Figure 2

Long chain bases (LCB) form the core structure of sphingolipids. The structure base varies in it chain length (represented by // in the figure), degree of saturation and hydroxylation. N-acylation of LCB with very long chain fatty acid (VLFA) leads to the formation of respective ceramides. Further esterificationof the R-group of the LCB leads to generation of complex sphingolipids. The nature and complexity of the R groups defines the class of complex sphingolipids.