[Gangliosides of mouse liver and ascites hepatoma 22a]

The ganglioside composition of the ascite hepatoma 22a and that of mouse liver was compared. GM2 was shown to be the main ganglioside in both tissues; however, the gangliosides of the hepatoma differed from liver gangliosides by a higher amount of disialoganglioside GD1a and by contents of monosialoganglioside GM1 and disialoganglioside GD1b which are absent in normal mouse liver. Trisialogangliosides which are characteristic for normal liver cells were not detected in the hepatoma. The liver and hepatoma gangliosides differed also by the type of sialic acids. In the liver the individual ganglioside fractions belong to either the N-glycolyl- or the N-acetylneuraminyl series, whereas the ganglioside fractions of the hepatoma are characterized by simultaneous presence of both sialic acid types.