C16 Lactosylceramide is an endogenous bioactive sphingolipid. It forms membrane microdomains with Lyn kinase and the αi subunits of inhibitory G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), suggesting a role in cell signaling. Plasma levels of C16 lactosylceramide are elevated in insulin-resistant cattle. C16 Lactosylceramide is also upregulated in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick type C1 disease, a neurodegenerative cholesterol-sphingolipid lysosomal storage disorder.
13C C16 Sphingomyelin is an isotopically enriched form of C16 sphingomyelin with carbon-13 occurring on the fatty acid portion. It is intended for use as an internal standard for the quantification of C16 sphingomyelin by GC- or LC-MS. C16 Sphingomyelin is a form of sphingomyelin containing palmitate (16:0) at the variable acylation position. It is the most common form of sphingomyelin found in eggs and is less abundant in the brain and in milk. C16 Sphingomyelin interacts with cholesterol in ordered lipid domains (lipid rafts). Sphingomyelinases remove phosphorylcholine from C16 sphingomyelin to produce C16 ceramide. While ceramides commonly induce apoptosis, ceramides with different fatty acid chain lengths might direct distinct functions and, in some cases, reduce apoptosis.
C16 globotriaosylceramide is an endogenous sphingolipid found in mammalian cell membranes that is synthesized from C16 lactosylceramide . C16 globotriaosylceramide acts as a receptor for Shiga toxin in B cell-derived Raji cells and THP-1 monocytes. It accumulates in endothelial cells, pericytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, renal epithelial cells, dorsal ganglia neuronal cells, and myocardial cells in patients with Fabry disease. C16 globotriaosylceramide is also upregulated in plasma of patients with ovarian carcinoma compared to those with benign ovarian tumors or uterine fibroids.