STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NEUTRAL GLYCOSPHINGOLIPIDS FROM FUSARIUM SPECIES

Glycosphingolipids were extracted from hyphae of Fusarium solani and f rom an unnamed Fusarium species, and were purified by silica and Iatro bead column chromatography. Their structures were determined by compos itional analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gas chromat ography/mass spectrometry and by fast atom bombardment mass spectromet ry of the native and peracetylated materials, which defined their suga r, long-chain base and fatty acid compositions. The locations of the d ouble bonds in the bases were established by 2D NMR spectroscopy and b y novel mass spectrometric approaches, including collisional activatio n of the protonated and lithium-cationized glycosphingolipids, and of the sphingadienene-derived fragment ion at m/z 276. From these results we propose that the structures of the glycosphingolipids from F. sola ni and Fusarium sp. are -beta-D-glucopyranosyl-9-methyl-4,8-sphingadie nine and -beta-D-glucopyranosyl-9-methyl-4,8-sphingadienine respective ly. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.