Detection, determination, and metabolism in vitro of gangliosides in mammalian sympathetic ganglia

Abstract— Sympathetic ganglia of the rat and cat were examined for the occurrence and distribution of gangliosides. Each rat superior cervical ganglion contained 0.3 nmol of ganglioside-sialic acid. Extracts of cat superior cervical and nodose ganglia were chromatographed on silica gel thin-layer plates. The resulting patterns suggested that similar distributions of multiple forms of gangliosides occur in these two tissues, with the fast-moving gangliosides predominating. The metabolic activity of gangliosides was also investigated in rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro. Evidence was obtained that ¹⁴C from [U-¹⁴C]glucose, [U-¹⁴C]pyruvate, and [U-¹⁴C]glucosamine was incorporated into the gangliosides.