GANGLIOSIDES OF ECHINOCOCCUS-MULTILOCULARIS METACESTODES

Gangliosides, glycosphingolipids with sialic acid, were found in metac estodes of Echinococcus multilocularis in low quantities. All ganglios ides were resolved after preparative high-performance thin layer chrom atography into four fractions. Cholera toxin was specifically bound to the major ganglioside, allowing the identification of it as a G(M1). Precise structure of the four fractions was determined by sequential d egradation by exoglycosidases, gas chromatography, electron impact mas s spectrometry and liquid secondary ion-mass spectrometry. Beside G(M1 ), the other fractions were G(M3), G(D1a) and, at a lesser percentage, G(M2), all belonging to the same a-ganglio-series. The ceramide part of these parasite gangliosides contained sphingosine associated to uns aturated n24, saturated n24 and n16 fatty acids.