Gangliosides are formed from a glycosphingolipid combined with one or more sialic acids at the oligosaccharide chain. They are components of the plasma membrane where they pack densely with cholesterol to form lipid microdomains that modulate signal transduction events. More than 180 gangliosides have been identified and each differ based on the position and number of sialic acid residues. Ganglioside GM1 Asialo is formed by the cleavage of the sialic acid residue from ganglioside GM1 by neuraminidase. It is present in natural killer cells and T cells and, as a component of lipid rafts, it can serve as a glycolipid receptor for bacterial host response signaling.
