GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS OF HUMAN PERIPHERAL NERVOUS-SYSTEM MYELINS ISOLATED FROM CAUDA-EQUINA

Compositions of neutral and sulfated glucuronyl glycosphingolipids pur ified from human motor and sensory nerves and myelins were studied. Hi gher neutral glycosphingolipids (fraction B), which were separated fro m GalCer (fraction A), were analyzed by TLC and TLC-immunostaining. Bo th nerve myelins contained paragloboside (nLc4Cer) and nLc6Cer dominan tly as major higher glycosphingolipids and very little globoside (Gb4C er), whereas both nerves contained Gb4Cer and nLc4Cer. Besides these m ajor glycosphingolipids, a neutral glycolipid containing asialoGM1 (Gg 4Cer) epitope and other minor components such as ceramide trihexoside and ceramide dihexoside were detected in both nerves and their myelins . Furthermore, sulfated glucuronyl nLc4Cer and nLc6Cer, which were mon oclonal antibody HNK-1 reactive glycolipids, were detected in both ner ves and myelins.