GM3 (monosialodihexosylganglioside) is a type of

ganglioside A ganglioside is a molecule composed of a glycosphingolipid (ceramide and oligosaccharide) with one or more sialic acids (e.g. ''N''-acetylneuraminic acid, NANA) linked on the sugar chain. NeuNAc, an acetylated derivative of the carbohydrate sia ...

. The letter G refers to ganglioside, and M is for monosialic acid as it has one

sialic acid Sialic acids are a class of alpha-keto acid sugars with a nine-carbon backbone. The term "sialic acid" (from the Greek for saliva, - ''síalon'') was first introduced by Swedish biochemist Gunnar Blix in 1952. The most common member of this gr ...

only. The numbering is based on its relative mobility in electrophoresis among other monosialic gangliosides. Its structure can be condensed to

NANA Nana, Nanna, Na Na or NANA may refer to: People and fictional characters * Nana (given name), including a list of people and characters with the given name * Nana (surname), including a list of people and characters with the surname * Nana (c ...

- Gal- Glc-

ceramide Ceramides are a family of waxy lipid molecules. A ceramide is composed of N-acetylsphingosine and a fatty acid. Ceramides are found in high concentrations within the cell membrane of eukaryotic cells, since they are component lipids that make up ...

. GM3 is the most common membrane-bound

glycosphingolipid Glycosphingolipids are a subtype of glycolipids containing the amino alcohol sphingosine. They may be considered as sphingolipids with an attached carbohydrate. Glycosphingolipids are a group of lipids (more specifically, sphingolipids) and are a p ...

in tissues, composed of three monosaccharide groups attached to a ceramide backbone. GM3 serves as a precursor for other, more complex gangliosides. Like other gangliosides, GM3 is synthesized in the

Golgi apparatus The Golgi apparatus (), also known as the Golgi complex, Golgi body, or simply the Golgi, is an organelle found in most eukaryotic cells. Part of the endomembrane system in the cytoplasm, it packages proteins into membrane-bound vesicles ins ...

. It is then transported to the plasma membrane, where it functions in cellular signaling. GM3 also functions as an inhibitor; it inhibits cell growth, the function of growth factor receptors, and generation of

cytokine Cytokines are a broad and loose category of small proteins (~5–25 kDa) important in cell signaling. Cytokines are peptides and cannot cross the lipid bilayer of cells to enter the cytoplasm. Cytokines have been shown to be involved in autocrin ...

s by

T cell A T cell is a type of lymphocyte. T cells are one of the important white blood cells of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell r ...

Applications in Cancer Treatment

The immunologic function of GM3 in inhibiting proliferation has resulted in its usage in the study of cancer biology and cancer treatments. GM3 has been found to reduce the motility of ovarian cancer cells, colorectal cancer cells, and gastric cancer cells. High amounts of GM3 also displayed a high amount of caveolin-1, a molecule which has been shown to inhibit ovarian cancer growth. In bladder cancer cells, GM3 show antiproliferative effects. Increased concentrations of GM3 in bladder cancer cells reduces the malignancy potential of those cells and induces apoptosis. The addition of GM3 to bladder cancer cells also decreases their cell adhesion and inhibits tumor growth. Due to its role in inhibiting cancer growth, GM3 is a target of cancer treatments. The chemotherapy drug

cisplatin Cisplatin is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of cancers. These include testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, br ...

functions by inducing GM3-mediated

apoptosis Apoptosis (from grc, ἀπόπτωσις, apóptōsis, 'falling off') is a form of programmed cell death that occurs in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death. These changes incl ...

of cancer cells.

References

Glycolipids {{biochem-stub