Incorporation of a ganglioside and spin-labeled ganglioside analogue into cell and liposomal membranes.

When an aqueous solution of a spin-labeled "two tail" gangliosidoid was incubated with liposomes or sheep erythrocytes, the broad single resonance line in the ESR spectrum disappeared and a signal showing an anisotropic motion appeared, indicating that the spin-labeled "two tail" gangliosidoid in the micellar state was transferred to the lipid phase of the acceptor membranes. The transfer was temperature- and time-dependent, irrespective of the acceptor membranes, indicating that the rate of transfer is determined by the escape of monomers from the micelles. The kinetics and temperature-dependence of the association of ganglioside II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer with sheep erythrocytes was very similar to that of the "two tail" gangliosidoid, indicating that parts of ganglioside II3NeuAc-GgOse4Cer could be incorporated into the lipid phase of membranes via a similar mechanism.