marine drugs Review Sphingolipids of Asteroidea and Holothuroidea: Structures and Biological Activities Timofey V. Malyarenko 1,2,*, Alla A. Kicha 1, Valentin A. Stonik 1,2 and Natalia V. Ivanchina 1,* 1 G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. 100-let Vladivostoku 159, 690022 Vladivostok, Russia;
[email protected] (A.A.K.);
[email protected] (V.A.S.) 2 Department of Bioorganic Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Sukhanova Str. 8, 690000 Vladivostok, Russia * Correspondence:
[email protected] (T.V.M.);
[email protected] (N.V.I.); Tel.: +7-423-2312-360 (T.V.M.); Fax: +7-423-2314-050 (T.V.M.) Abstract: Sphingolipids are complex lipids widespread in nature as structural components of biomembranes. Commonly, the sphingolipids of marine organisms differ from those of terres- trial animals and plants. The gangliosides are the most complex sphingolipids characteristic of vertebrates that have been found in only the Echinodermata (echinoderms) phylum of invertebrates. Sphingolipids of the representatives of the Asteroidea and Holothuroidea classes are the most studied among all echinoderms. In this review, we have summarized the data on sphingolipids of these two classes of marine invertebrates over the past two decades. Recently established structures, properties, and peculiarities of biogenesis of ceramides, cerebrosides, and gangliosides from starfishes and holothurians are discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide the most complete informa- tion on the chemical structures, structural features, and biological activities of sphingolipids of the Asteroidea and Holothuroidea classes.