1 Phospholipid synthesis in mammalian cells

Abstract

Phospholipids are the main components of biological membranes and as such act as the major permeability barrier between cells and the extracellular space, as well as defining the physical boundaries of intracellular organelles. Phospholipid types are defined by in large by their head groups that in turn are the major determinants of phospholipid function. Within a specific phospholipid type, heterogeneity also exists by virtue of the fatty acids attached to each individual phospholipid as well as the nature by which these fatty acids are attached to the lipid backbone. We provide an overview of the pathways by which specific phospholipids are synthesized in mammalian cells and present new discoveries covering the specific intracellular sites of lipid synthesis, new factors affecting membrane synthesis, and how alterations in the synthesis of specific phospholipids impact on signals that affect various phenotypes including their regulation of cell growth.