Egg SM 860061 Sphingomyelin (Egg, Chicken)

Egg sphingomyelin (Egg SM) is derived from chicken egg yolk and is a naturally-sourced sphingolipid mixture. It is controlled by the palmitoyl (C16:0) species, which typically accounts for the majority of its acyl chain composition. It also reflects the lipid profile of biological membranes, as it contains lower amounts of longer-chain species such as C18:0, C22:0, and C24:1.

Sphingomyelin plays a central structural role in eukaryotic membranes, particularly within the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and in specialized tissues such as myelin. Its molecular structure promotes tight lipid packing and supports the formation of ordered membrane regions when combined with sterols.

For experiments that require controlled membrane organization, Egg SM provides a reliable, predictable platform due to its enrichment in saturated chains.

Application

• Lipid raft and domain formation studies: Commonly used in ternary lipid systems (e.g., SM/PC/cholesterol) to examine phase separation, domain coexistence, and membrane heterogeneity in model bilayers.
• Sphingomyelinase and ceramide pathway assays: Serves as a substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis, enabling investigation of ceramide generation and downstream signaling processes related to apoptosis and cellular stress.
• Mass spectrometry and lipidomics workflows: Utilized as a reference material or internal standard for sphingomyelin quantification due to its defined and reproducible acyl chain distribution.

Formulation & handling

Egg SM is available as a powder or dissolved in chloroform. It dissolves readily in organic solvents suitable for lipid film separation and bilayer reconstitution. The material should be stored at −20 °C under inert gas and shipped on dry ice to maintain its stability. It readily absorbs moisture, so handle it in dry conditions and prepare aliquots to limit repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

This product is a natural lipid mixture, with the listed structure representing the predominant C16:0 species. This Avanti Research™ product, with >99% purity, supports reproducibility across sensitive experimental systems and remains stable for up to 2 years under proper storage conditions.

Avanti Research™ is recognized worldwide for our rigorous lipid manufacturing standards; we have 50+ years of leadership in supplying high-quality reagents to academic and pharmaceutical research communities.

References

Andrey Samsonov, Ilya Mihalyov, & Cohen, F. S. (2001). Characterization of Cholesterol-Sphingomyelin Domains and Their Dynamics in Bilayer Membranes. Biophysical Journal, 81(3), 1486–1500. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0006-3495(01)75803-1

Bieberich, E. (2018). Sphingolipids and lipid rafts: Novel concepts and methods of analysis. Chemistry and Physics of Lipids, 216, 114–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2018.08.003

Hannun, Y. A., & Obeid, L. M. (2008). Principles of bioactive lipid signalling: lessons from sphingolipids. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 9(2), 139–150. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2329

Milhas, D., Clarke, C. J., & Hannun, Y. A. (2009). Sphingomyelin metabolism at the plasma membrane: Implications for bioactive sphingolipids. FEBS Letters, 584(9), 1887–1894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.febslet.2009.10.058

Simons, K., & Vaz, W. L. C. (2004). Model Systems, Lipid Rafts, and Cell Membranes. Annual Review of Biophysics and Biomolecular Structure, 33(1), 269–295. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.biophys.32.110601.141803