Description
Ganglioside G
D1b is an acidic glycosphingolipid that contains two sialic acid residues linked to an inner galactose unit. It is a component of plasma membranes where it packs densely with cholesterol to form lipid microdomains that modulate both intra- and intercellular signaling events. The concentration of ganglioside G
D1b in human brain increases with age, constituting 7.85% of total sialic acid in the brain of 0- to 10-year-old subjects and 20.29% in 11- to 30-year-old subjects. Ganglioside G
D1b levels are positively correlated with pilocytic astrocytoma tumor grade, and G
D1b has been detected in various other gliomas, including primitive neuroectodermal tumors, glioblastomas, and anaplastic astrocytomas. Ganglioside G
D1b mixture contains ganglioside G
D1b molecular species with C18:1 and C20:1 fatty acyl chains.
General Description
Gangliosides are major constituents of neuronal cell membranes and endoplasmic reticulum; contain a sialated polysaccharide chain linked to ceramide through a β-glycosidic linkage; for classification of gangliosides see Svennerholm, L., et al. (eds.),
Structure and Function of Gangliosides, New York, Plenum, 1980.
