Quantitative Thin Layer Chromatography of Amino Acids Using Fluorescamine Reagent

A novel plasmal conjugate to glycerol and psychosine ("glyceroplasmalopsychosine"): isolation and characterization from bovine brain white matter

A novel plasmal conjugate of glycosphingolipid having cationic lipid properties was isolated from the white matter of bovine brain. Linkage analysis of galactosyl residue by methylation, liquid secondary ion, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of intact and methylated derivatives, and by (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectroscopy, identified the structure unambiguously as an O-acetal conjugate of plasmal to the primary hydroxyl group of glycerol and to the 6-hydroxyl group of galactosyl residue of beta-galactosyl 1-->1 sphingosine (psychosine). This novel compound is hereby termed "glyceroplasmalopsychosine"; its structure is shown below (see text).

Absence of a stratum corneum antigen in disorders of epidermal cell proliferation: detection with an anti-ganglioside GM3 antibody

We have investigated the distribution of ganglioside GM3 in normal skin with 8G9D8, a monoclonal antibody against GM3, and found binding to the stratum corneum. By electron microscopy, strong deposition of antibody was seen at the corneocyte envelope/"plasma membrane" region. Significantly decreased to absent binding to the stratum corneum was shown in a variety of disorders of excessive keratinocyte proliferation, including squamous cell carcinomas, psoriasis, and bullous and non-bullous forms of congenital ichthyosiform erythrodermas, as well as in the hyperplastic cornoid lamellae of porokeratosis. The 8G9D8 antibody recognizes the carbohydrate sequence N-acetylneuraminic acid alpha 2----3 galactose beta 1----4 glucose (or N-acetylglucosamine). Thus, in addition to ganglioside GM3, 8G9D8 may bind to glycoproteins or another glycolipid of the stratum corneum with a shared carbohydrate sequence. The carbohydrate sequence recognized by 8G9D8, whether attached to an epidermal glycoprotein or glycolipid, may prove to be important in keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation.

An in situ fluorimetric method for the detection and quantitative analysis of fenitrothion, its breakdown products and other amine-generating compounds

A procedure is described for the in situ detection of primary amine-generating pesticides on thin layers of silica gel. The technique is based on the reaction of fluorescamine with primary amines to yield highly fluorescent derivatives. Nitro compounds are first reduced to their corresponding primary amines. Pesticides studied were aminotriazole, fenitrothion, parathion and parathion-methyl. Possible breakdown products of fenitrothion were also included. Detection limits were in the low nanogram range. The method is simple, rapid and very selective and can also distinguish between primary amines and nitro compounds. An example of a typical chromatographic separation is presented and quantitative aspects are discussed.

Detection and determination of N-nitrosamines by thin-layer chromatography using fluorescamine

A novel procedure is described for the detection and determination of N-nitrosamines (NAs) on thin-layer chromatographic plates. Ultraviolet irradiation of NAs on activated plates (silica gel or aluminum oxide) yields primary or secondary amines, which after spraying with fluorescamine reagent give fluorescent or non-fluorescent products, respectively. The majority of the 24 NAs examined afforded NAs, although the volatile dimethyl-, diethyl- and pyrrolidine-N-nitrosamines gave limits of 500, 40, and 40 ng, respectively. Spectrophotometric determinations of the relative fluorescence of 0.1-40 nmoles of NAs gave rise to nearly linear calibration curves when plotted on a log-log scale.

Derivatization of compounds at the origin of thin-layer plates with fluorescamine

A method has been developed for the detection of compounds with primary amino groups on thin-layer chromatography (TLC) plates with fluorescamine. The compounds dissolved in buffer were applied to TLC plates and derivatized at the origin by developing with or dipping into an acetone-hexane solution of fluorescamine. Virtually all fluorescamine derivatives stayed at the origin, and they were subsequently separated using appropriate solvent systems. As little as 10 pmoles of fluorescamine-derivatized compound could be detected when viewed under a long-wave (366 nm) ultraviolet lamp. The method was applied to the analysis of peptides, amino acids and amines.