Gangliosides play important roles in the nervous system by regulating ion concentrations

Gangliosides are important components of the neuronal cell membrane and play a vital role in the development of neurons and the brain. They participate in neurotransmission and are considered as the structural basis of learning and memory. Gangliosides participate in several and important physiological processes, such as cell differentiation, cell signaling, neuroprotection, nerve regeneration and apoptosis. The stability of ion concentration in excitable cells is particularly important in the maintenance of a steady state of cells and in the regulation of physiological functions. Ion concentration has been found to be related to the ganglioside’s regulation in many neurological diseases, and several studies have found that they can stabilize intracellular ion concentration by regulating ion channels, which highlights their important regulatory role in neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission. Gangliosides can influence some forms of ion transport, by directly binding to ion transporters or through indirect binding and activation of transport proteins via appropriate signaling pathways. Therefore, the important and special role of gangliosides in the homeostasis of ion concentration is becoming a hot topic in the field and a theoretical basis in promoting help gangliosides use as key drugs for the treatment of nervous system diseases.