Characterization of gangliosides of porcine erythrocyte membranes: occurrence of ganglioside GD3 as major ganglioside.

Four major ganglioside species were isolated from porcine erythrocyte membranes by DEAE-Sephadex and Iatrobeads column chromatography. Treatment of the lipids with graded neuraminidase and beta-galactosidase, gas chromatographic analysis of their carbohydrates, sphingosine bases and molecular species of sialic acid revealed that the structure of these gangliosides were GM3(NeuAc), GM3(NeuGc), GD3(NeuAc) and GD3(NeuGc), each of which was 16 +/- 2 micrograms, 304 +/- 42 micrograms, 30 +/- 3 micrograms and 240 +/- 26 micrograms, respectively, per gram of the dry erythrocyte stroma. The amount of GM3 and GD3 accounted for more than 95% of total gangliosides of the erythrocytes. Porcine erythrocytes may provide a good source for large scale preparation of ganglioside GD3 which recently was identified as a human melanoma-associated antigen.