A Sphingolipid Having a Novel Type of Ceramide and Lacto-N-Fucopentaose III

Abstract

Abstract A new sphingoglycolipid was isolated from human adenocarcinomas. The glycolipid had a novel ceramide which contained predominantly 4-hydroxysphinganine (phytosphingosine) and a high content of α-hydroxy fatty acids. The structure of the carbohydrate moiety was identified as O-β-galactosyl-(1 → 4)-[O-α-l-fucosyl-(1 → 3)]-O-β-(N-acetyl)glucosaminosyl-(1 → 3)-O-β-galactosyl-(1 → 4)-glucose, which was identical with that of lacto-N-fucopentaose III (Kobata, A., and Ginsburg, V., J. Biol. Chem., 244, 5496 (1969)). The precipitating antibody against this glycolipid was produced in rabbit, the antiserum was allowed to react specifically with this glycolipid but not with Lewis a or Lewis b glycolipid, and the precipitin reaction was inhibited by lacto-N-fucopentaose III.