Formation and Turnover of Myelin Ganglioside*

Abstract —In young adult rats, the formation and turnover of G M1 ‐ganglioside in myelin were compared with the formation and turnover of G M1 ‐ganglioside in whole brain and of total lipids in whole brain and myelin, after injection of d‐[1‐ 14 C]glucosamine. During the first 24 hr after injection, the specific activity of G M1 ‐ganglioside in myelin was less than 25 per cent of that of G M1 ‐ganglioside in whole brain. The specific activity of ganglioside in whole brain was maximal at 24 hr and then declined steadily during the next 3 months, whereas the specific activity of G M1 ‐ganglioside in myelin continued to increase and did not reach a peak until about one month after injection, by which time its specific activity had increased five‐fold. Consequently, the specific activity of G M1 ‐ganglioside in myelin was 50 per cent higher than ganglioside in whole brain after one month. These differences in the formation and turnover of G M1 ‐ganglioside in myelin and of whole brain are similar to those of other lipids of myelin and of whole brain, indicating that the metabolic activity of myelin ganglioside is similar to myelin lipids, but differs from whole brain lipids or whole brain gangliosides. These data provide additional evidence that ganglioside in myelin is an intrinsic constituent of the myelin sheath. G T1 (G 1 ), G D1b , (G 2 ), G D1a (G 3 ), G M1 (G 4 ), G M2 (G 5 ), G M3 (G 6 ).