Glycolipids of peripheral nerve: isolation and characterization of glycolipids from rabbit sciatic nerve

Besides cerebreside and sulfatide four other glycolipids were isolated from rabbit sciatic nerve and analyzed by chemical and chromatographic methods. Three of the glycolipids were shown to be fatty acid esters of cerebroside; the fourth was characterized as diacyl glycerol galactoside and its alkyl ether analog. In the ester linkage mainly unsubstituted acids with chain length C(16) to C(18) were present. Both hydroxy and unsubstituted acids were found in amide linkage. They varied in chain length from C(16) to C(24) and were typical of cerebrosides. The long-chain base fraction contained sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine as the main components.