Quantitative isolation of total glycosphingolipids from animal cells

• Main Authors: Terunobu Saito, Sen-itiroh Hakomori
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 1971-03-01
• Series: Journal of Lipid Research
• Subjects: glycolipids; acetylation; acetic anhydride; pyridine; magnesia–silica gel (Florisil); 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE)
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022227520395377

The quantitative isolation of total glycosphingolipids from crude lipid extracts without contamination from other lipid classes is described. The method consists of (a) acetylation of total lipids with pyridine and acetic anhydride, (b) separation of acetylated glycolipids from nonglycolipids on a magnesia–silica gel (Florisil) column, and (c) deacetylation of glycolipid in chloroform–methanol–sodium methoxide. This method is useful for determination of microgram quantities of glycolipids derived from less than 1 ml of packed cells.