Gas-liquid chromatography of oligosaccharides released from red cell glycosphingolipids by ozonolysis

A method for the analysis of glycosphingolipids in mammalian erythrocyte membranes is described. It consists of ozonolysis and alkaline treatment of the crude lipid extract to obtain oligosaccharides from glycosphingolipids and then gas-liquid chromatography of trimethylsilyl derivatives of glycitols derived from the oligosaccharides. Typical gas-liquid chromatographic patterns of oligosaccharide components were obtained with various mammalian erythrocytes; these corresponded to the glycosphingolipid compositions. The analysis could be carried out on 10 ml of packed erythrocytes.