Figure 2.

Ceramide structures from porcine and human stratum corneum [5]. The numbers (1–6) on the right indicate ceramides from porcine stratum corneum, while human ceramides are indicated on the left in the nomenclature of Motta et al. [12]. The porcine ceramide designated as 4/5 separates into two separate bands. The more mobile fraction contains mostly 20- through 28-carbon α-hydroxyacids amide-linked to sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine bases. The less mobile fraction is mostly α-hydroxy palmitic acid amide-linked to the same bases. In the human CER AS, there is an α-hydroxyacid-containing component with a more uniform chain length distribution.