Definition of sphingosine in US English: sphingosine
noun Biochemistry A basic compound which is a constituent of a number of substances important in the metabolism of nerve cells, especially sphingomyelins.
A crystalline alcohol; chemical formula: C₁₈H₃₇NO₂
Example sentences
‘Analysis of tissues for sphinganine and sphingosine is not readily available.’ ‘Sphingolipids are composed of a backbone of sphingosine which is derived itself from glycerol.’ ‘In contrast, the increase of SM content in MEB4 cells to 6% by the addition of sphingosine did not affect the viability of the cells.’ ‘Amino acylation, with a long chain fatty acid, at carbon 2 of sphingosine yields a ceramide.’ ‘It is, in principle, possible that sphingosine could be involved in the regulation of gene expression and signal transduction.’ Pronunciation sphingosine /ˈsfiNGɡōsēn/ /ˈsfɪŋɡoʊsin/