Abstract
Glycosphingolipid (GSL) and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) are the two major glycolipids expressed by eukaryotic cells, and their metabolisms share the same machineries. Moreover, both GSLs and GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are localized in the cholesterol-rich regions, namely the lipid rafts, of the cell membrane, where many other signaling molecules are compartmentalized as well. Therefore, the interaction between GSLs and GPI-APs and their interactions with other molecules in the lipid rafts are inevitable. This review is focused on the influences of GSLs and GPI-APs on each other's biosynthesis, trafficking, cell membrane distribution, and biological functions, such as signal transduction.