title: Cell-specific expression of neutral glycosphingolipids in vertebrate brain: immunochemical localization of 3-O-acetyl-sphingosine-series glycolipid(s) in myelin and oligodendrocytes.
abstract: The tissue- and cell-specific expression of three neutral glycosphingolipids, gangliotetraosylceramide (GA1), gangliopentaosylceramide (GalNAc-GA1), and the novel 3-O-acetyl-sphingosine-series glycolipid (FMC-5), were examined with monospecific polyclonal antibodies. Immunohistochemical studies of rodent brain cross-sections indicated that both GA1 and FMC-5 antibodies stained myelin. In contrast, GalNAc-GA1 antibody distinctly stained neurons in cerebral cortex, but only partially delineated Purkinje cells and other neurons in cerebellum. Preliminary studies of mixed glial cultures suggested the following: 1) both FMC-5 and GA1 antibodies stained oligodendrocytes and oligo progenitors, and 2) GalNAc-GA1 antibody did not stain any cells in the culture. Because the GalNAc-GA1 was associated with neurons, we examined the immunoreactivity of GalNAc-GA1 antibody in primary neuronal cultures. Further studies using primary cultures of rat brain oligodendrocytes, and dissociated cerebellar neuronal cultures indicated that both GA1 and FMC-5 are specifically expressed by oligodendrocytes, whereas GalNAc-GA1 is primarily localized in interneurons and to some extent in Purkinje neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. sdasgupta@mail.mcg.edu
authors.forename: Somsankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dasgupta
authors.forename: Narayan R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Samuel S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Spicer
authors.forename: Edward L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furuya
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission / Q000379:methods; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000201:enzymology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000201:enzymology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013110:Sphingosine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D013110:Sphingosine