Abstract
Several hundreds of sphingoglycolipids in nature have been identified so far, and their chemical structures and metabolism have been well elucidated. Their biological relevance especially in vivo is an important issue to be addressed. A growing body of evidence suggests that sphingoglycolipids are involved in various biological processes such as cellular proliferation, differentiation, and recognition. They are also identified to be receptors of several viruses and bacteria or antigen epitopes in some of auto-immune diseases. Recent advance of this research field is reviewed.
