Rabbit muscle gangliosides

Abstract

Four ganglioside fractions were isolated from rabbit muscle : one hematoside and three hexosamine-containing species. They were analyzed for hexoses, hexosamine, sialic acid, fatty acids, and long-chain base content. The molar ratios of sphingosine–hexose–hexosamine–sialic acid were: for hematoside, 1:2:0:1; for the disialogangliosides, 1:3:1:2; and for trisialoganglioside, 1:3:1:3.The carbohydrates were studied by thin-layer and paper chromatography. The hexoses were glucose and galactose; the hexosamine was N-acetylgalactosamine and the sialic acid was N-acetylneuraminic acid.Fatty acids and long-chain bases were analyzed by gas–liquid chromatography. The fatty acid composition was similar in all of the four gangliosides. The most abundant fatty acids were 16:0 and 18:0, but significant amounts of 16:1, 18:1, 20:0, and 22:0 were also found. Hydroxy fatty acids were not detected. In all of the muscle gangliosides the main long-chain bases were C18-sphingenine and C20-sphingenine. In hematoside there were also measurable amounts of C18-sphinganine and C20-sphinganine, whereas in the major gangliosides only traces of C18-sphinganine were detected.

Keywords

• neutral hexoses
• N-acetylgalactosamine
• N-acetylneuraminic acid
• fatty acids
• long-chain bases