A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GANGLIOSIDES FROM BRAINS OF VARIOUS SPECIES

A comparison is made of the sialic acid and hexose content of crude gangliosides from the brains of 13 species, including mammals, a bird, and amphibian, a reptile and fish. The sialic acid content is relatively constant from species to species. Gangliosides are less abundant in tissues other than the brain. Four species (cat, dog, pig and sheep) were selected for the determination of their major ganglioside subfractions. The ganglioside subfractions were isolated (after extraction and partition dialysis) using descending thin layer chromatography. The population of ganglioside molecules varied from species to species. From dog and sheep a mono-, a di- and a trisialoganglioside were obtained; from cat a mono-, a di- and two trisialogangliosides; and from pig a mono- and two disialogangliosides. Each ganglioside subfraction was found to contain glucose, galactose and galactosamine in the ratio of approximately 1:2:1. The fatty acid moieties consisted of more than 80% stearic acid with lesser amounts of arachidic, palmitic and behenic acid. Sphingosine analyses indicated ratios of sphingosine to icosisphingosine of 7:3 for the monosialo-, 1:1 for the disialo- and 3:7 for the trisialogangliosides. © 1969 The American Oil Chemists' Society.