| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1387990 | Carbohydrate Research | 2013 | 8 Pages |
•Brain gangliosides of mice with altered ganglioside synthesis were analyzed by MS.•Acetylated ganglioside species, normally not present in murine brain, were found.•Presence of O-acetylated GD1a in St8sia1 null mice is reported for the first time.•Presence of O-acetylated GM3 in B4galnt1 null mice is reported for the first time.•Ganglioside ceramide portions are structurally more diverse in knock-out mice.
Gangliosides are sialylated membrane glycosphingolipids especially abundant in mammalian brain tissue. Sialic acid O-acetylation is one of the most common structural modifications of gangliosides which considerably influences their chemical properties.In this study, gangliosides extracted from brain tissue of mice with altered ganglioside biosynthesis (St8sia1 null and B4galnt1 null mice) were structurally characterized and their acetylation pattern was analyzed. Extracted native and alkali-treated gangliosides were resolved by high performance thin layer chromatography. Ganglioside mixtures as well as separated individual ganglioside fractions were further analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry.Several O-acetylated brain ganglioside species were found in knockout mice, not present in the wild-type mice. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the presence of O-acetylated GD1a in St8sia1 null mice and O-acetylated GM3 species in B4galnt1 null mice. In addition, much higher diversity of abnormally accumulated brain ganglioside species regarding the structure of ceramide portion was observed in knockout versus wild-type mice.Obtained findings indicate that the diversity of brain ganglioside structures as well as acetylation patterns in mice with altered ganglioside biosynthesis, is even higher than previously reported. Further investigation is needed in order to explore the effects of acetylation on ganglioside interactions with other molecules and consequently the physiological role of acetylated ganglioside species.
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