Isolation and characterization of glycosphingolipids with J blood group activity from bovine spleen1,2

Two glycosphingolipids with J blood group activity were found in J-positive bovine spleen. They were tentatively identified as ceramide deca- and dodecahexosides containing galactose, glucose, N -acetylgalactosamine and N -acetylglucosamine in a molar ratio of 5:3:1:1 and 6:3:2:1, respectively. Fucose was not present. Ceramide decahexosides without J activity were also found in J-negative bovine spleen. The principal component fatty acids of the J-active glycosphingolipids were saturated even-numbered long-chain acids with 16 to 24 C atoms. Their principal long-chain bases were sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine with smaller amounts of phy-tosphingosine.
Both J-active glycosphingolipids were readily water-soluble and showed strong activity in the bovine J and in the porcine A blood group system. They exhibited no cross-reactivity in the human A system. However, a J-negatiye glycosphingolipid fraction - also from J-negative spleen - with shorter carbohydrate chain-length showed strong activity in the human A system.