Immunochemical Studies on Normal and Tay-Sachs'Brain Gangliosides.

Abstract

Summary Gangliosides from normal human, Tay-Sachs' and beef brain tissues administered intramuscularly with Freund's adjuvant, caused the production of precipitating antibodies in 15 out of 16 rabbits. Agar double diffusion analysis showed the presence of 2–3 or more precipitin bands in the reaction of each antigen with its homologous antiserum. Antiserum to normal human brain gangliosides formed only one precipitin band with gangliosides from Tay-Sachs' brain, while antiserum to gangliosides from Tay-Sachs' brain did not cross react with the gangliosides from normal brain. A purified monosialoganglioside from Tay-Sachs' brain gave one precipitin band only with the antiserum to gangliosides extracted from Tay-Sachs' brain.