CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GLYCOSYLINOSITOLPHOSPHOLIPIDS OF HERPETOMONAS-SAMUELPESSOAI

The structure of two glycosylinositolphospholipids of the cell surface of the monoxenic protozoan Herpetomonas samuelpessoai have been deduc ed by methylation analysis, fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry an d two dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These glyco lipids have features in common with the glycoinositolphospholipids of both Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi, resembling the former by the pr esence of the hybrid type core sequence Man alpha 1 --> 3(Man alpha 1 --> 6)Man alpha 1 --> 4GlcN alpha 1 --> 6 myo-inositol-1-PO4-lipid, wh ile the 2-aminoethylphosphonate substituent on 0-6 of glucosamine and the presence of ceramide in place of glycerol lipids is more reminisce nt of T. cruzi. Possible phylogenetic implications of these observatio ns are discussed.