Lipidszer

Lipidszer is a term used in lipidomics to denote the complete set of lipid species present in a cell, tissue, or organism. It is closely aligned with the concept of the lipidome in English and serves as a reference framework for describing lipid diversity, distribution, and potential functional roles in membranes, energy storage, and signaling.

The lipidszer encompasses major lipid classes such as glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, glycerolipids, sterols, and fatty acyls, as well as their numerous subclasses. It is organized by chemical features including headgroup type, backbone, acyl chain length, and degree of unsaturation, reflecting both structural variety and biological function. The concept recognizes that lipid composition is tissue- and condition-dependent and can change in response to development, diet, or disease.

Measurement and analysis of the lipidszer rely on lipidomics workflows, primarily using mass spectrometry with chromatographic separation. Techniques such as LC-MS/MS enable qualitative and quantitative profiling, while computational tools annotate lipids against curated databases and ontologies. Standardization of sampling, extraction, and reporting remains an ongoing challenge to enable cross-study comparisons.

Applications of lipidszer research include elucidating membrane architecture, energy metabolism, and lipid signaling pathways, as well as identifying biomarkers for metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative conditions. Limitations include the vast dynamic range of lipid abundances, structural isomerism, and the need for comprehensive reference libraries to achieve consistent annotations.

See also: lipidome, lipidomics, mass spectrometry, lipid signaling.