Gangliosides are glycosphingolipids found in all vertebrate cells with particularly high levels found in the central nervous system.1,2 Gangliosides in the brain typically contain a saturated stearic acid as the fatty acyl chain, which is located in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane with the ceramide chain, and a glycan group that faces outward and mediates cell-cell interactions. Gangliosides pack densely with cholesterol to form lipid microdomains that modulate both intra- and inter-cell signaling events. More than 180 gangliosides have been identified that differ based on the position and number of sialic acid residues. The expression of various gangliosides varies during development indicating specialized roles at distinct stages. Deficiencies in the synthesis or breakdown of gangliosides are associated with seizure and neurodegenerative disorders, respectively. They also regulate receptor function by direct association and receptor trafficking. Gangliosides have been implicated in tumorigenesis because they can modulate cell surface events including proliferation, migration, and adhesion.3 's Purified Ganglioside Mixture contains ganglioside molecular species with primarily C18:0 fatty acyl chain lengths. As this product is derived from a natural source, there may be variations in the sphingoid backbone. [Matreya, LLC. Catalog No. 1065]
1.Yu, R.K., Tsai, Y.T., Ariga, T., et al.Structures, biosynthesis, and functions of gangliosides-an overviewJ. Oleo. Sci.60(10)537-544(2011) 2.Schnaar, R.L.Gangliosides of the vertebrate nervous systemJ. Mol. Biol.428(16)3325-3336(2016) 3.Seyfried, T.N., and Mukherjee, P.Ganglioside GM3 is antiangiogenic in malignant brain cancerJ. Oncol.961243(2010)