Glycosphingolipids from cultured astroblasts.

The glycolipids of two clonal lines astroblasts, NN clone and C6 clone, were studied. Glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide were present at very low levels in both clones, but the most common myelin glycolipids galactosylceramide and sulfatide, were not detected. The ganglioside pattern of these cells was rather simple, with GM3 as main compoenent, accompained in one clone by GD3. These results are quite different from those observed on astroglia-enriched fractions isolated from brain. The fatty acid composition of these glycolipids was studied. Long chain fatty acids, up to lignoceric acid, were found in appreciable amounts, even in gangliosides. It is difficult to conclude if these glycolipid patterns are due to the properties of normal astroblasts, to transformation, or to a tumoral character of our cell lines.