Sphingoid bases

Class abbreviations

Specific rules for sphingoid bases (SPB)

• The sum composition of sphingoid base and fatty acid is shown as number of C-atoms:DBE;O-atoms, e.g. SPB 34:1;O2.
• Double bond geometry is annotated in parenthesis, e.g. SPB 34:1(4E);O2.
• When the number of hydroxyl groups on SPB is not known, e.g. for mammals, two hydroxyl groups are assumed.
• Sphingoid base phosphates with unknown phosphate position are represented by SPBP, e.g. SPBP 18:1;(OH)2.
• Sphingoid base phosphates with known position of phosphate and of OH-positions is annotated by, e.g., SPBP[1] 18:1(4E);3OH.

Hierarchical shorthand notation for examples of sphingoid bases (sphingolipids with a free amino group)

Sphingoid base	Species level1	Structure defined level	Full structure level
Sphingosine	SPB 18:1;O2	SPB 18:1;(OH)2	SPB 18:1(4E);1OH,3OH
3-Keto-sphinganine	SPB 18:1;O2	SPB 18:0;OH;oxo	SPB 18:0;1OH;3oxo
Sphinganine	SPB 18:0;O2	SPB 18:0;(OH)2	SPB 18:0;1OH,3OH
Sphingadiene	SPB 18:2;O2	SPB 18:2;(OH)2	SPB 18:2(4E,14Z);1OH,3OH
Phytosphingosine	SPB 18:0;O3	SPB 18:0;(OH)3	SPB 18:0;1OH,3OH,4OH
C20-Sphingosine	SPB 20:1;O2	SPB 20:1;(OH)2	SPB 20:1(4E);1OH,3OH
Sphingosine-1-phosphate	SPBP 18:1;O2	SPBP 18:1;OH	SPBP[1] 18:1(4E);3OH
Sphinganine-1-phosphate	SPBP 18:0;O2	SPBP 18:0;OH	SPBP[1] 18:0;3OH
1-Deoxymethyl-sphinganine	SPB 17:0;O	SPB 17:0;OH	SPB 17:0;2OH
1-Deoxy-sphinganine	SPB 18:0;O	SPB 18:0;OH	SPB 18:0;3OH
Lysoinositolphosphorylceramides	LIPC 18:0;O3	LIPC 18:0;(OH)2	LIPC[1] 18:0;3OH,4OH
Lysosphingomyelin	LSM 18:1;O2	LSM 18:1;OH	LSM[1] 18:1(4E);3OH