EXTRACTION AND PURIFICATION OF GANGLIOSIDES FROM PLASMA AND FIBROBLASTS BEFORE ANALYSIS BY THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY

A procedure to extract and purify gangliosides from small volumes of p lasma (0.6 mL), cerebrospinal fluid (1 mL) and fibroblasts is describe d. Gangliosides were extracted with chloroform/methanol and purified b y means of reversed phase chromatography and gel filtration before ana lysis by thin layer chromatography. The procedure proved to be useful in confirming deficiency of lysosomal enzyme activity affecting gangli oside breakdown. The new procedure also appeared to be useful to monit or ganglioside catabolism in cultured fibroblasts loaded with ganglios ide.