Cholesterol interactions with ceramide and sphingomyelin

Sphingolipids contain in their polar heads chemical groups allowing them to establish a complex network of H-bonds (through different OH and NHgroups) with other lipids in the bilayer. In the recent years the specific interaction of sphingomyelin (SM) with cholesterol (Chol) has been examined, largely in the context of the “lipid raft” hypothesis. Formation of SM—Ceramide (Cer) complexes, proposed to exist in cell membranes in response to stress, has also been described. More recently, a delicate balance of phase formation and transformation in ternary mixtures of SM, Chol and Cer, with mutual displacement of Chol and Cer from their interaction with SM is considered to exist. In addition, data demonstrating direct Chol–Cer interaction are becoming available.