A Glycosphingolipid spin label: Ca2+ effects on sphingolipid distribution in bilayers containing phosphatidyl serine.

A glycosphingolipid (galactosyl ceramide) has been synthesized which has a spin label covalently attached near the methyl end of the fatty acid chain. This is to our knowledge the first glycolipid spin label to be reported. It is being used to study glycosphingolipid behaviour in lipid bilayers — especially with a view to potential differences from phospholipids. Like phospholipids it assumes a random distribution in fluid lipid bilayers but tends to be excluded from regions rich in phosphatidyl serine in the face of a Ca²⁺-induced lateral phase separation.