Isolation and characterization of gangliosides with a new sialosyl linkage and core structures. II. Gangliosides of human erythrocyte membranes.

Eight monosialosylgangliosides, G1 to G8, have been isolated from human erythrocyte membranes and their structures have been determined. Gangliosides G4 and G7 have been characterized by having 2 leads to 6-linked sialic acid to galactose at their termini. Ganglioside G5 was a positional isomer of a brain ganglioside GM1 as to the linkage of sialic acid. Ganglioside G8 was characterized as a branched chain ganglioside similar to a fucoganglioside previously isolated but devoid of fucose, and it showed a strong blood group I activity. Structures of these four new gangliosides are shown below: (formula: see text).