Blood-group A and the related glycolipids of human lung

Three glucosamine-containing sphingoglycolipids were isolated from human lung tissue of a blood group-A subject. They were hexaglycosyl, pentaglycosyl, and tetraglycosyl ceramides. The hexaglycosyl ceramide exhibited blood group-A antigenicity, and the following chemical structure was proposed on the basis of sequential glycosidase treatment and methylation analysis. (Formula: see text) The pentaglycosyl ceramide for human lung was a blood group H(O)-active glycolipid having a carbohydrate composition of Fuc : GlcNAc : Gal : Glc (1 : 1 : 2 : 1). The tetraglycosyl ceramide is probably paragloboside (lactoneotetraosyl ceramide).