Human dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and ventral and dorsal roots were imm
unostained with rabbit antibodies recognizing GM1, GD1b, or both. Sera
from rabbits immunized with GM1 or GD1b were separated in affinity co
lumns into three fractions: Rab1, Rab2, and Rab3. Rab1 recognized only
GM1, and Rab2 only GD1b; whereas Rab3 recognized both GM1 and GD1b, p
resumably by binding to the terminal galactosy[beta 1-3N-acetylgalacto
saminyl residue. Rab2 and Rab3 immunostained most of the nerve cell bo
dies in the DRG and paranodal myelin of the ventral and dorsal roots,
whereas Rab1 produced no significant immunostaining. These results sho
w that GD1b is localized on the DRG neurons and the paranodal myelin o
f human peripheral nerve. These places may be the binding sites for an
ti-GD1b antibodies, including those cross-reactive with GM?, in the se
ra from patients with autoimmune neuropathies. GM1 may be dispersed in
human DRG and dorsal and ventral roots. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sans, I
nc.