Leonardo Nimrichter¹, Marcio L. Rodrigues¹, Eliana Barreto-Bergter¹ and Luiz R. Travassos²

¹Instituto de Microbiologia Professor Paulo de Góes, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590, Brazil. ²Unidade de Oncologia Experimental and Disciplina de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal de São Paulo; São Paulo, SP 04023-062, Brazil.

Abstract

It is well known that mammalian glycosphingolipids (GSL) play key roles in different physiological and pathophysiological processes. The simplest GSL, glucosylceramide (GlcCer), is formed through the enzymatic transfer of glucose to a ceramide moiety. In mammalian cells this molecule is the building block for the synthesis of lactosylceramides and many other complex GSLs. In fungal cells GlcCer is a major neutral GSL that has been considered during decades merely as a structural component of cell membranes. The recent literature, however, describes the participation of fungal GlcCer in vital processes such as secretion, cell wall assembly, recognition by the immune system and regulation of virulence. In this review we discuss the most recent information regarding fungal GlcCer, including (i) new aspects of GlcCer metabolism, (ii) the involvement of these molecules in virulence mechanisms, (iii) their role as targets of new antifungal drugs and immunotherapeutic agents and, finally, (v) their potential participation on cellular signaling in response to different stimuli.