Characterization of two gangliosides of the paragloboside series from chicken skeletal muscle.

Two glucosamine-containing gangliosides, a ceramide pentasaccharide and ceramide heptasaccharide, have been purified from the gangliosides of chicken skeletal muscle. The lipids were extracted with a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and aqueous KCl and purified by anion-exchange and silicic acid column chromatography. Their structures were determined by specific enzymatic hydrolysis and methylation analysis. The proposed structures are sialosyl derivates of: (a) paragloboside, and (b) paragloboside with an additional lactosamine disaccharide: (a) NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcCer, (b) NeuAc alpha 2 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 3Gal beta 1 leads to 4GlcCer. The long base was predominantly sphingosine and the acyl groups were mainly palmitate, stearate and oleate.