The biosynthesis of brain gangliosides. Separation of membranes with different ratios of ganglioside sialylating activity to gangliosides.

Brain subcellular fractions were analysed for ganglioside-sialylating activity by measuring the incorporation of N-[3H]acetylneuraminic acid from CMP-N-[3H]acetylneuraminic acid into endogenous ganglioside acceptors (endogenous incorporation) and into exogenous lactosyceramide (haematoside synthetase activity). The ratios of endogenous incorporation to gangliosides and of haematoside synthetase to gangliosides for the synaptosomal and mitochondrial fractions from a washed crude mitochondrial fraction were lower than those obtained for other membrane fractions. The differences appear to reflect intrinsic characteristics of each membrane fraction. The results of labelling in vitro and the time course of labelling of gangliosides of the different subcellular fractions in vivo after injection of N-[3H]acetylmannosamine are consistent with the possibility of a subcellular site for synthesis of gangliosides different from that of ganglioside deposition.