Chemical characterisation of glycosylinositolphospholipids of Herpetomonas samuelpessoai.

The structure of two glycosylinositolphospholipids of the cell surface of the monoxenic protozoan Herpetomonas samuelpessoai have been deduced by methylation analysis, fast-atom bombardment mass spectrometry and two dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These glycolipids have features in common with the glycoinositolphospholipids of both Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi, resembling the former by the presence of the hybrid type core sequence Man alpha 1-->3(Man alpha 1-->6)Man alpha 1-->4GlcN alpha 1-->6 myo-inositol-1-PO4-lipid, while the 2-aminoethylphosphonate substituent on 0-6 of glucosamine and the presence of ceramide in place of glycerol lipids is more reminiscent of T. cruzi. Possible phylogenetic implications of these observations are discussed.