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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Glycosphingolipid Antigens
Published on: April 16, 2013
Synthesis and biological activity of ester and ether analogues of alpha-galactosylceramide (KRN7000)
Masao Shiozaki1, Takuya Tashiro, Hiroyuki Koshino
1Laboratory for Immune Regulation, Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, RIKEN, Hirosawa 2-1, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan. shiozaki@rcai.riken.jp
Abstract:
Alpha-Galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer, KRN7000) has been identified as a modulator of immunological processes through its capacity to bind iNKT cells mediated by CD1d molecules. Some analogues in while the amide group in alphaGalCer is replaced with ester or ether groups were synthesized from d-arabinitol or l-ribose to evaluate their ability to activate iNKT cells. Ester analogues 30a, 31a, and 61 showed activity for IFNgamma and IL-4 production of iNKT cells, while ether (31b) and 4-methoxy ester (76) analogues of alpha-galactosylceramide were not active for iNKT cells.
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