Description

• Amino Acid Sequence: Cer-Glc-Gal(NeuAc)-GalNAc-Gal
• General description: Gangliosides are major constituents of neuronal cell membranes and endoplasmic reticulum. They contain a sialated polysaccharide chain linked to ceramide through a β-glycosidic linkage.
• Application: Specific receptors for cholera toxin that accumulate in the brain in late infantile lipidosis.
• Biochem/physiol Actions: Monosialoganglioside GM1 is a major sialoglycolipid of neuronal membranes that modulates calcium homeostasis. It binds to cholera toxin B subunit, resulting in stimulation of adenylate cyclase in a wide variety of cell types. After cholera toxin binds to membrane associated monosialoganglioside GM1, the A subunit of cholera toxin is translocated to the cell interior, where it catalyzes the ADP ribosylation of the membrane associated Gs subunit of adenylate cyclase. In addition, binding of cholera toxin to monosialoganglioside GM1 causes translocation of NF-κB and activation of dendritic cells.Monosialoganglioside GM1 was one of many mono- and oligosaccharide ligands studied for their affinity for NKR-P1, a membrane protein on natural killer cells, which contains an extracellular Ca2+-dependent lectin domain. Monosialoganglioside GM1 is effective in partially correcting the consequences of neuroinjury in a number of in vivo and in vitro model systems.
• Preparation Note: Monosialoganglioside GM1 is prepared by a modification of a published procedure. It is isolated from bovine brain by extraction and solvent fractionation methods. The final purification is done by HPLC on silica gel allowing no buffer salts to be used for the purification.