TABLE 4.
Biological functions of sulfatide in the immune system
| Functions of sulfatide in lipid recognition of T cells to antigen-presenting cells | |
| Priming of T helper type 1 and type 2 responses through sulfatide loading to CD1 (a–c) molecules (79, 80) | |
| Recognition of sulfatide/CD1d-tetramers by major type 2 NKT cells (81) | |
| Protection from autoimmune disease and ischemic reperfusion injury by sulfatide-reactive type 2 NKT cells (82–86) | |
| Functions of sulfatide as a selectin ligand | |
| A native ligand for L- and P-selectin but not for E-selectin (87) | |
| Cancer metastasis involving P-selectin (88, 89) | |
| Upregulation of CXCR4 surface expression of leukocytes through L-selectin (recruitment of leukocytes to injured endothelium?) (90) | |
| Functions of sulfatide as a chemokine receptor | |
| Selective binding to chemokines (involved in HIV-1 infection, hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, embryonic development, tumor metastasis, and graft rejection?) (90, 91) | |
| Functions of sulfatide in macrophages | |
| Uptake of apoptotic cells by macrophages (92) | |