Leishmania donovani: purification and partial characterization of a glycophosphosphingolipid antigen expressed on promastigote surface.

A ceramide-anchored glycophosphosphingolipid antigen was isolated from the lipid extract of Leishmania donovani promastigotes. The affinity-purified glycolipid antigen contained galactose, mannose, myo-inositol, phosphate, ceramide, and hexosamine but no sialic acid. The phosphate group was present internally at the core of the structure: inositol (1-O)-phosphorylceramide. The phosphate group became susceptible to alkaline phosphatase only after alkali-catalyzed hydrolysis of the glycolipid.