Brain gangliosides: an improved simple method for their extraction and identification

Planar chromatographic techniques in biomedicine: current status

In planar chromatography (PLC), the solvent flows through a layer either by means of capillary forces [conventional thin-layer chromatography (TLC)] or by a forced-flow system (over-pressured layer chromatography). Phases and instrumentation currently available are briefly examined. The main applications in biomedicine are reviewed. Although silica gel TLC plates still predominate, interest in other phases is increasing. Unique detection features such as immunostaining are emphasized. Although gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography have superseded TLC in the analysis of carbohydrates, amino acids and indole derivatives, interest in PLC continues to be high in lipid analysis.

New solvent system for high-performance thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography of gangliosides

New solvent systems consisting of acetonitrile, isopropanol and aqueous 50 mM potassium chloride or 2.5 M ammonium hydroxide were developed for the separation of gangliosides by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. These solvent systems seem to be superior for the resolution of polysialogangliosides such as tetra-, penta- and hexasialo species, as compared to chloroform-methanol-aqueous salt systems. The order of mobility of gangliosides in the ammoniacal solvent system is GD3 greater than GD1a greater than GM1 greater than GT1b greater than GD1b as compared with GM1 greater than GD3, GD1a greater than GD1b greater than GT1b in the neutral septem. A combination of these two solvent systems provides excellent two-dimensional separations of complex ganglioside mixtures. The neutral solvent system, acetonitrile-isopropanol-aqueous 50 mM potassium chloride, can be used for the separation of underivatized gangliosides by high-performance liquid chromatography on an Aquasil SS silica gel column. Ganglioside elution can be monitored at 208 nm because of the good UV-transparency of the effluent.

Hepatic beta galactosidase and feline GMI gangliosidosis

This paper describes the clinical, morphological and biochemical features of three cats with a progressive neurological disorder. Clinical features were ataxia and progressive tremor. The morphological characteristics were those of lysosomal storage disease affecting neurones of the central nervous system and autonomic ganglia; membranous cytoplasmic bodies were demonstrated by electron microscopy in cerebral neurones. Chemical analysis of brain from two of the cats revealed an increased content of total gangliosides, sialic acid and a specific increase in GMI ganglioside. Enzyme analysis of homogenates of leucocytes, spleen and brain showed less than 5% or normal 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta galactosidase (4MU-beta gal) activity. In liver, activity was markedly reduced at pH values below 4.2, but there was considerable activity above this value. The properties of 4MU-beta gal in normal and diseased feline livers were investigated. Sephadex gel filtration of diseased liver homogenates showed an absence of two thermolabile "acid' components, and reduced activity of a third thermostable "neutral' component. The biochemical abnormalities found in the diseased cats are similar to those found in human juvenile GMI gangliosidosis (type 2).