Chemistry of glycosphingolipids-carbohydrate molecules of biological significance

The chemistry for the synthesis of glycosphingolipids has been greatly advanced in the last two decades, and now almost any compound of any structural complexity can be prepared. The methodology is based on the development of efficient glycoside bond formation strategies in order to obtain the oligosaccharide moiety, on the synthesis of useful sphingosine intermediates, and finally on their successful ligation in order to provide neutral as well as acidic glycosphingolipids (i.e. gangliosides). Also enzymatic approaches towards this goal have been investigated. Recent conformational and biological studies exhibit a rapidly growing understanding of the physical properties and the importance of glycosphingolipids which is essentially based on the great synthetic achievements discussed in this review.