Glycosphingolipids of white cells lymphoid tissue and bone marrow

Abstract

Glycosphingolipids of lymphoid tissues, bone marrow cells, mixed blood leucocytes, separated lymphocytes, and granulocytes from large white pigs were analyzed by thin layer and gas liquid chromatographies. The composition of the glycosphingolipids of thymus and blood leucocytes (mixed population) was similar, and trihexosyl ceramide (galactosyl‐[1–4]‐galactosyl‐[1–4]‐glucosyl‐[1–1]‐ceramide) was the major glycosphingolipid component of both tissues. The fatty acid fractions of all glycolipids from the two tissues were analyzed, and gross differences are discussed. Blood lymphocytes had a higher content of glycosphingolipids/mole phospholipid or mg protein than thymus lymphocytes obtained by a gentle washing of sliced tissue. Similar and more pronounced differences were obtained when the glycosphingolipid content of bone marrow cells (>50% polymorphonuclear neutrophils) was compared with that of blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils. In general, most of the blood leucocytes were richer in glycosphingolipids than most of the cells of the lymphoid tissues and bone marrow. These results indicate a marked difference in lipid composition between blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils and bone marrow cells. It is possible that certain of the biophysical properties which characterize blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils and which derive from changes in the cell periphery of immature granulocytes are connected with these differences in membrane lipid composition.

Lipid composition of lymphocyte plasma membrane from pig mesenteric lymph node

“…The lipid extract (50mg) was fractionated by adding it to a column (0.7cmx5cm) of silicic acid (Bio-Rad Laboratories, St. Albans, Herts., U.K.; special for lipid chromatography) in chloroform. Neutral lipids were separated by washing the column with chloroform, and ceramides, glycosphingolipids and phospholipids were successively eluted with ethyl acetate, acetone/methanol (9:1, v/v) and chloroform/ methanol (1 : 1, v/v) respectively (Vance & Sweeley, 1967;Levis & Kesse-Elias, 1974). The ceramide fraction was further purified after mild alkaline hydrolysis (Miras et al, 1966) by rechromatography under the same conditions.…”

“…As 2-hydroxy fatty acid methyl esters were not eluted under the above conditions, these were analysed on an SE-30 column at 215°C before and after separation from other fatty acid methyl esters by t.l.c. (Levis & Kesse-Elias, 1974).…”

“…156 basis for analysing the significance of the differences in plasma-membrane lipid composition that are apparently induced during lymphocyte activation (Resch & Ferber, 1975) and that probably occur between different lymphocyte subpopulations (e.g. peripheral blood lymphocytes have been reported to have a higher content of glycosphingolipids than the cells ofthe lymphoid tissues; Levis & Kesse-Elias, 1974).…”

Comparative study of the glycosphingolipids of chicken bursa of Fabricius and of chicken, rat and human thymus

“…There have been a number of studies on the glycolipid composition of the circulating lymphocytes of several species (see Gottfried, 1972). Because of the central role of the thymus in T-lymphocyte development, two studies have also compared the glycolipids of circulating lymphocytes with those of their corresponding thymic tissues (Levis & Kesse-Elias, 1974;Narasimhan et al, 1976). In all these studies, glycosphingolipids, comprising both neutral and ganglioside classes, were the only type of glycolipid detected in the cells and tissues analysed.…”