Studies on the glycosphingolipids of the starfish, Asterina pectinifera. III. Isolation and structural studies of two novel gangliosides containing internal sialic acid residues.

Two gangliosides, provisionally named Gangliosides 1 and 2 in previous studies, were isolated from starfish, Asterina pectinifera by silicic acid, DEAE-Sephadex, and Iatrobeads column chromatography procedures, and preparative thin-layer chromatography, and their structures were established. On the basis of the results of partial acid hydrolysis, methylation and oxidation with chromium trioxide, Gangliosides 1 and 2 were proposed to be Ara p beta(1 leads to 6)Gal p beta(1 leads to 4)8-O-MeNeuGc(2 leads to 3)Gal p beta(1 leads to 4)Glc p beta(1 leads to 1)-ceramide and Ara p beta(1 leads to 6)Gal p beta(1 leads to 4)NeuGc(2 leads to 3)Gal p beta(1 leads to 4)Glc p beta(1 leads to 1)-ceramide, respectively. The ceramide moieties of both gangliosides had similar phytosphingosine and 2-hydroxy fatty acid compositions, and both gangliosides were structurally related to the previously described Ganglioside 3.