Sulfolipids are a class of
lipid
Lipids are a broad group of organic compounds which include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include storing ...
s which possess a
sulfur
Sulfur ( American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphur ( Commonwealth spelling) is a chemical element; it has symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms ...
-containing
functional group
In organic chemistry, a functional group is any substituent or moiety (chemistry), moiety in a molecule that causes the molecule's characteristic chemical reactions. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reactions r ...
. An abundant sulfolipid is
sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol, which is composed of a glycoside of
sulfoquinovose and
diacylglycerol. In plants, sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerides (SQDG) are important members of the
sulfur cycle.
Other important sulfolipids include
sulfatide and
seminolipid, each of which are sulfated glycolipids. Sulfolipids have been implicated in the functions of two of the core components of the
photosynthetic electron transport chain and while not necessarily essential, might have a protective function when the photosynthetic apparatus is under stress.
See also
*
Sulfatide
*
Galactolipid
*
Phospholipid
Phospholipids are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids typ ...
*
Glycolipid
References
Lipids
Sulfate esters
Anionic surfactants
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Membrane biology