Ganglioside GM4 mixture (ammonium salt)

Ganglioside GM4 is a sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipid found primarily in the brain of mammals, particularly in human myelin. Ganglioside GM4 is also found on epithelial cells in the intestinal tract of the red sea bream where it is an attachment site for Gram-negative Vibrios, the bacteria that causes vibriosis in humans after ingestion of raw or undercooked seafood. Ganglioside GM4 species have been found as 11 out of 61 gangliosides detected in an adrenal neuroblastoma tumor. Administration of ganglioside GM4 (80 and 160 µg) prevents development of myelin basic protein-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in guinea pigs. Ganglioside GM4 mixture contains ganglioside GM4 molecular species with fatty acyl chains of variable lengths.