Identification, and Quantification of Gangliosides

FIGURE 1. Pathway of biosynthesis of the common gangliosides of normal mouse cell 

50 nmoles lactosylceramide, 10 cpm CMP-NANA- C, 5 /xmoles Na cacodylate (pH 6.35), 750 /xg cutscum, 100 /xg cardiolipin, 150 /xg of cell protein in final volume of 50 fx  

The catabolism of gangliosides was also a primary concern in searching for an understanding of the alteration of ganglioside composition in tumorigenic-virus-transformed cells. The catabolism (cf. Chapter 5) of the major gangliosides Gm3 and Goia (cf. Chapter 2, Table I) is initiated by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the terminal molecule of sialic acid from the respective compounds [reactions (2) and (3)]  

Goia and Gm3 were specifically labeled in the N-acetylneuraminic acid moieties through biosynthesis in vivo using [ H]N-acetylmannosamine as the labeled precursor (Kolodny et al., 1970). The catabolism of these substances was determined by measuring the quantity of [ H]NANA released using appropriate conditions of incubation (Cumar et aL, 1970). 

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