1991 Volume 40 Issue 5 Pages 361-369
Glycolipids are the hybrid molecules constructed with the hydrophilic carbohydrate chain and the hydrophobic side chain. The characteristic change in the structure of glycolipids is usually observed among different animal species, different organs, tissues and cells of the same animals, and cells in the different proliferation-and differentiation-stages. Recent approaches for characterization of the meaning on the glycolipid-heterogeneity clearly indicates the involvement of glycolipids in a signal transducer and a modulator of functional proteins. For example, glycolipids appeared in association with differentiation can effectively induce the differentiation in human myeloid and monocytoid leukemia cells, and the keratinization in fetal rat keratinocytes. And addition of glycolipids, which do not contain in the target neuroblastoma cells, to the culture medium, can induce the neurite outgrowth of the cells.