Incorporation of N‐acyl‐2‐amino‐2‐deoxy‐hexoses into glycosphingolipids of the pheochromocytoma cell line PC 12

Abstract

The synthesis of N‐acyl‐2‐amino‐2‐deoxy‐hexoses, their metabolism and their incorporation into glycosphingolipids of rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC 12 were investigated. The data indicate that in PC 12 cells the N‐acyl‐2‐amino‐2‐deoxy‐hexoses, N‐propanoyl‐d‐glucosamine and N‐butanoyl‐d‐glucosamine are metabolized to the corresponding phosphates, and that N‐propanoyl‐d‐glucosamine is also metabolized to N‐propanoyl neuraminic acid. Using variously radiolabelled N‐acyl‐2‐amino‐2‐deoxy‐hexoses, their incorporation into glycosphingolipids was shown.