Introduction: Enigmas of Sphingolipids

Abstract

Sphingolipid biology has enjoyed a remarkable rise to fame over the last two decades. Various molecules from this lipid family have been implicated in a variety of cellular functions in health and disease. Ceramides, which constitute the hub of sphingolipid metabolism, are apoptogenic molecules that have many proposed mechanisms of actions. Enigmas revolving around this area of research are slowly being cleared with the advent of better laboratory techniques and data analyses. In this chapter, a general introduction of the topics presented in this book is undertaken highlighting the main ideas of each chapter.