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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jun 12.
Published in final edited form as: Clin Lipidol. 2011 Apr;6(2):159–179. doi: 10.2217/clp.11.8

Figure 4. N-palmitoyl-galactosylceramide with galactose linked in either.

Figure 4

α (A) or β (B) configuration to ceramide backbone. β-linked forms of galactosylceramides (and glucosylceamides) are normal constituents of mammals, but α-linked forms are not. The α-linked form of galactosylceramides is found in Agelas mauritianus, a marine sponge. This glycolipid and its synthetic analog, KRN7000, have been used as specific activators of natural killer cells that are involved in the regulation of certain autoimmune diseases [210].