J. Biochem, 1988, Vol. 104, No. 5 755-760
© 1988 Japanese Biochemical Society
research-article |
Melibiosylceramide as the Sole Ceramide Dihexoside from the Eggs of the Sea Urchin, Anthocidaris crassispina1
*Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152
**Developmental and Reproductive Biology Center Yamagata, Yamagata 990
***Department of Molecular Physiology, The Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113
2 To whom correspondence should be addressed
Melibiosylceramide (Gal
1-6Glcß1-1Cer) was found as the sole ceramide dihexoside from the eggs of the sea urchin, Anthocidaris crassispina. Ceramide monohexoside of the eggs consisted only of glucosylceramide (Glcß1-1Cer). These lipids were purified by successive column chromatographies on DEAE-Sephadex A-25, silicic acid and Florisil, and identified by gas-liquid chromatography, negative-ion fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as methylation analysis. Long-chain base compositions of both lipids were almost identical and comprised n-C18-phytosphingosine and small amounts of its homologs (C17–C19) Fatty acid compositions were qualitatively very similar, but the glucosylceramide contained more 2-hydroxy fatty acid than the melibiosylceramide. Although the chain length of fatty acids was distributed over a wide range, six major fatty acids, namely 22:1, 23:1, 24:1, 22h:1, 23h:1 and 24h:1, constituted more than 92% of the fatty acid content in these lipids.
1 This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 61440006 and No. 61304034) from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan.