Cerebrodiene: a brain lipid isolated from sleep-deprived cats.

Lerner, R A; Siuzdak, G; Prospero-Garcia, O; Henriksen, S J; Boger, D L; Cravatt, B F · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 1994

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

We report the isolation of a heretofore unrecognized brain lipid that is present in cerebrospinal fluid of sleep-deprived cats. The molecule appears to be a long-chain base structurally related to sphingosine and sphinganine in which a second unsaturated bond has been introduced. An increase in the degree of unsaturation of a key membrane component is expected to have important physiological consequences.

Medical subject headings