ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF GLUCOCEREBROSIDES FROM ADULT RAT BRAIN¹

Abstract

Abstract— By chromatography on borate‐coated silicic acid, glucocerebrosides, galactocerebrosides, sulfatides and sphingomyelins from brain tissue could be efficiently separated. Adult rat brain was found to contain 54.1 ± 1.5 nmol of glucocerebrosides per gram fresh weight. Ninety percent of the glucocere‐broside fatty acids were palmitate, stearate and oleate; fatty acids with chain lengths above C 20 were virtually absent. No hydroxy fatty acids were found. The long chain bases of adult rat brain glucocerebrosides consisted of 74.6% C 18 ‐sphingosine, 24.4% C 18 ‐sphinganine and 1.1% C 20 ‐sphingosine. These results are compared to those obtained from glucocerebrosides from immature rat brains (A be & N orton , 1974) and discussed in respect to changes occurring during brain development.