[Study of gangliosides in normal (C57B1/6J) and quaking mice. Presence and characterization of a labile ganglioside in alkaline solution]

In the adult Quaking mutant, there is an increase in some polysialogangliosides (GT1 and Gq) and a 50% decrease in BM1 content. Thus, the latter ganglioside, which is a constituent of mature myelin, could be linked to one of the late steps of the myelination process. A novel ganglioside ALG1, which appears during the postnatal development of brain, has been isolated and purified; it contains an alkali labile linkage and after alkaline treatment yields GT1b. Comparison between normal Mice and Quaking mutants does not show any significant quantitative differences, under our conditions. At the stage at which it appears, it could be linked to steps of brain maturation other than myelimation.