[Localization and functional role of gangliosides from nerve tissue of vertebrates]

Gangliosides in the animal organism are typical components of plasma membranes of nerve cells in which the concentration of polysialogangliosides is especially high. The high concentration of tri- and tetrasialoganyliosides and ganglioside GD1b is peculiar to primary cultures of nerve cells, whereas these gangliosides are practically not present in the culture of the transformed nerve cells which have lost their ability to sinaptogenesis, they are not found in cultures of oligodendro- and astroglia as well. The addition of exogenic gangliosides to nerve cells cultures stimulates the formation of processes in these cells and promotes their survivability. The neuritogenic and neuronotrophic effect of gangliosides, their participation in the processes of neurons' regeneration are shown in the in vivo experiments. Gangliosides are carriers of antigenic determinants typical of the cellular surface of neurons (or other cells) as well as of cells of different malignant tumours; typical carcinoembryonal antigenes are revealed among them. Such functions of gangliosides as participation in the processes of intercellular interaction, adhesion, pneuritogenic effect, possible participation to memorize one or another habit are, probably, interrelated and mutually conditioned. Recently the data, being in controversy with the notion that gangliosides are components of receptors of hormones and mediators, are obtained. Evidently, it ought to speak about the modulation of cell response by them on the action of these effectors.