title: Structural elucidation of two types of novel glycosphingolipids in three strains of Skeletonema by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are important components of the cell membrane; however, little is known about GSLs in microalgae. We analyzed GSLs in three strains of Skeletonema microalgae by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total lipid was extracted from Skeletonema microalgae. Separation of lipids was achieved via reversed-phase liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometric analysis of the lithium adduct of GSLs was conducted to determine their structures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two types of novel glycosphingolipids were identified from three strains of Skeletonema microalgae. The N-acyl groups were primarily long-chain saturated or monoenoic fatty acids (monounsaturated fatty acids) with 16C and 20 to 24C. The sphingoid long-chain bases (LCB) were sphingosine, sphingadienine and sphingatrienine. The saccharide polar head groups of glycosphingolipids were disaccharide (heptose-hexose) or trisaccharide (heptose-hexose-hexose). Semi-quantitative analysis of GLSs in the three strains of microalgae showed that GSL contents ranged from 0.09 to 8.79 nmol/mg dry microalgae powder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A qualitative method was developed for the identification of GSLs in microalgae. Two types of novel GSLs were identified from three strains of Skeletonema, which might have important biological functions. It could also provide a reliable tool for chemotaxonomy of microalgae.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biotechnology, Ningbo University, Chinese Ministry of Education, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jilin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Juanjuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Chengxu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fangting
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D056148:Chromatography, Reverse-Phase / Q000379:methods*; D017377:Diatoms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D058086:Microalgae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids