Gangliosides of calf thymus and of normal and leukemic bovine lymphocytes.

The gangliosides of calf thymus and of lymphocytes from blood, lymph nodes, lymph and spleen of normal and leukemic cows were investigated in an attempt to determine whether there exists a relation between the ganglioside composition and the maturity of the lymphocytes. With all normal peripheral lymphocytes studied the largely prevailing (up to 97%) ganglioside component was found to be N-glycoloylneuraminosyllactosylceramide. The ganglioside spectrum of calf thymus was much more complex and included at least six different components. By thin-layer chromatography, methylation analysis and neuraminidase treatment they were identified as N-glycoloylneuraminosyl and N-acetylneuraminosyl lactosylceramides, N-glycoloylneuraminosylneolactotetraosylceramide, di-(N-glycoloylneuraminosyl), di-(N-acetylneuraminosyl) lactosylceramides and N-glycoloylneuraminosyl-N-acetylneuraminosyllactosylceramide. The ganglioside spectra of leukemic peripheral lymphocytes were different from those of normal peripheral lymphocytes and resembled the ganglioside profile of the thymus. The data obtained indicate that, in the normal animal, the development of thymocytes into mature peripheral lymphocytes is accompanied by loss of disialosyl-gangliosides and sialosylneolactotetraosylceramide. It is concluded that both the structure and the composition of the lymphocyte ganglioside become more simple during maturation and ageing of the lymphocyte.