Structure of a new disialoganglioside GD1c from spontaneous murine thymoma

Abstract A major mono- and a di-sialoganglioside were isolated and purified to homogeneity from a spontaneous thymoma that occurs in AKR mice. Compositional and methylation analyses and the use of exoglycosidases established the monosialoganglioside to be αNeu(2→3)βGal(1→3)βGalNAc(1→4)βGal(1→4)-Glc(1→1)Cer and the disialoganglioside to be αNeuAc(2→8)αNeuAc(2→3)βGal-(1→3)βGalNAc(1→4)βGal(1→4)Glc(1→1)Cer (GD1c). A possible pathway for the biosynthesis of this disialoganglioside is presented.