Regional variation of brain gangliosides in feline GM1 gangliosidosis.

The morphopathologic abnormalities characterizing the gangliosidoses, e.g., meganeurites and aberrant secondary neurites with associated dendritic spines and synapses, show pronounced regional variation. Because gangliosides are thought to be the causative agents, we undertook to detect possible variation in concentration or composition that would correlate with those morphologic findings. A gradient in total ganglioside and GM1 concentration was found corresponding to cerebral cortex greater than caudate = thalamus greater than cerebellum, similar to the morphologic gradient. In addition, the fatty acid compositions were variable, the proportion of docosanoate (22:0) following the same gradient. The possibility that these variations in ganglioside content and composition might influence the growth of aberrant neurites and related structures is discussed.