Sulfolipid
Encyclopedia
Lipid
Lipids constitute a broad group of naturally occurring molecules that include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins , monoglycerides, diglycerides, triglycerides, phospholipids, and others...
s which possess a sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
-containing functional group
Functional group
In organic chemistry, functional groups are specific groups of atoms within molecules that are responsible for the characteristic chemical reactions of those molecules. The same functional group will undergo the same or similar chemical reaction regardless of the size of the molecule it is a part of...
. One of the most common consituents of sulfolipids is sulfoquinovose
Sulfoquinovose
Sulfoquinovose, also known as 6-sulfoquinovose and 6-deoxy-6-sulfo-D-glucopyranose is a monosaccharide sugar that is found as a building block in the sulfolipid sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol . Sulfoquinovose is a sulfonic acid derivative of glucose, the sulfonic acid group is introduced into the...
, which is acylated
Acylation
In chemistry, acylation is the process of adding an acyl group to a compound. The compound providing the acyl group is called the acylating agent....
to form sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerols. In plants, sulfolipids are important intermediates in the sulfur cycle
Sulfur cycle
The sulfur cycle are the collection of processes by which sulfur moves to and from minerals and living systems. Such biogeochemical cycles are important in geology because they affect many minerals...
.