Galactosylcerebrosides (hydroxy)

Galactosylcerebrosides are glycosphingolipids that contain a galactose attached to a ceramide acylated with a hydroxy or non-hydroxy fatty acid. They are metabolic precursors to sulfatides , found primarily in nerve tissues, and are the main glycosphingolipids in the central nervous system. Galactosylcerebrosides are involved in a multitude of cellular processes including cell agglutination, cellular signaling in glycosynapses, cellular development, and activation of T cells. They accumulate in globoid cells in the brain of patients with Krabbe disease, a disorder characterized by a deficiency in galactosylcerebrosidase activity. This product is a mixture of isolated bovine hydroxy galactosylcerebrosides.