Gangliosides of Cultured Mouse Cells

Abstract

Abstract The gangliosides of two types of mouse cells in tissue culture, L-929 cells and secondary cultures of mouse embryo cells, have been investigated. Gangliosides were identified tentatively by comparison of the chromatographic behavior of the intact gangliosides and their products of hydrolysis in mild acid with standards of known composition. Monosialogangliosides predominated in L cells whereas the secondary cultures also contained more complex gangliosides. The calf serum used for culturing the cells contained gangliosides but the pattern differed from those of the two types of cells. Both L cell and secondary cultures incorporated significant amounts of 14C-glucosamine into all of their gangliosides. The 14C-glucosamine was found to be principally distributed in the galactosamine, N-acetyl-, and N-glycolylneuraminic acid moieties of the gangliosides. These latter results suggest that the gangliosides are synthesized—at least in part—by the cells de novo. In addition, mono-, di-, and triglycosylceramides were detected in the L cell cultures, whereas the secondary cultures contained mono-, di-, and tetraglycosylceramides.