sphingosine

American

[sfing-guh-seen, -sin] / ˈsfɪŋ gəˌsin, -sɪn /

noun

Biochemistry.

a basic unsaturated amino alcohol, C 1 8 H 3 3 (OH) 2 NH 2 , produced by the hydrolysis of sphingomyelin or gangliosides.

sphingosine British

/ -ˌsiːn, ˈsfɪŋɡəsɪn /

noun

biochem a long-chain compound occurring in sphingomyelins and cerebrosides, and from which it can be released by hydrolysis. Formula: CH 3 (CH 2 ) 12 CH:CHCH(OH)CH(NH 2 )CH 2 OH

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sphingosine

1881; earlier sphingosin, equivalent to sphingo-, combining form representing Greek sphínx sphinx + intrusive -s- + -in ²; so called in allusion to the enigmas it posed for its discoverer

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The study also opens new avenues on how the B12-TCN2-CD320 pathway is regulated by sphingolipids, specifically sphingosine, a naturally occurring and endogenous structural analog of fingolimod, toward improving future MS therapies, Chun said.

From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2023

They have a glycerol or sphingosine backbone to which two fatty acid chains and a phosphate-containing group are attached.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Like fats, they are composed of fatty acid chains attached to a glycerol or sphingosine backbone.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Fats are made up of fatty acids and either glycerol or sphingosine.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023