DETERMINATION OF GALACTOSE AND GALACTOCEREBROSIDE USING A GALACTOSE-OXIDASE COLUMN AND ELECTROCHEMICAL DETECTOR

A method has been developed to measure galactose and galactocerebrosid e using galactose oxidase immobilized on a solid resin. Galactose oxid ase converts galactose and galactocerebroside to their corresponding a ldehydes and hydrogen peroxide, the latter being electroactive and mea surable by electrochemical detection using DC amperometric detection, The minimal detection limits of galactose and galactocerebroside were 1 and 2 mu M, respectively. The linear response to galactose and galac tocerebroside was to at least 300 mu M. About 100 samples can be measu red per hour using flow injection analysis. The activity of sulfatidas e (cerebroside-3-sulfate-3-sulfohydrolase), which converts sulfatide ( sulfogalactocerebroside) to galactocerebroside, was measured, and its inhibition by O-phospho-L-tyrosine was determined. (C) 1998 Academic P ress.