The incorporation of glycolipids with defined carbohydrate sequence into liposomes and the effects on partition in aqueous two-phase systems.

A glycolipid with a defined carbohydrate sequence, derived from the glycoprotein fetuin, has been synthesised and incorporated into liposomes. The effect of the glycolipid on partition of the liposomes in aqueous two-phase systems has been investigated. Incorporation of glycolipid into liposomes changed their partition behaviour in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects on partition of the sequential removal of the terminal carbohydrates were investigated. Partition behaviour appeared to be determined by the net effect of a range of factors including the nature of the terminal carbohydrate, interactions of the lipid region of the glycolipid and possibly carbohydrate chain length. The electrostatic potential difference which can be created between the phases (by the inclusion of certain ions, notably phosphate) appeared to have no detectable effect on partition, even when N-acetylneuraminic acid was present as the terminal carbohydrate of the glycolipid.