Abstract
Two novel series of glycosphingolipids containing inositolphosphate or methylinositolphosphate as an acidic group were found present in whole tissues of the lugworm, Tylorhynchus heterochaetus. The thin layer chromatographic pattern of the total acidic glycolipid revealed the presence of several components with positive reactions toward molybdate (phosphate) and/or both molybdate and orcinol-sulfuric acid (sugar) spray reagents. Three components (AGL01, AGL1 and AGL21) were isolated and purified by successive column chromatography on two ion exchange Sephadexes and silicic acid (Iatrobeads). From structural studies including compositional sugar analysis, hydrogen fluoride degradation, boron tribromide demethylation, methylation analysis and fast atom bombardment, their structures were deduced to be as follows : AGL01, InsMe (1→) -P-Cer; AGL1, Fuc-InsMe (1→) -P-Cer; and AGL21, Ins (1→) -P-Cer. The ceramide moieties of the inositollipids consisted mainly of C16 : 0 and C18 : 0 fatty acids and dihydroxy- (C18 : 1 and C18 : 0) sphingoids for AGL21, and 2-hydroxylated C16 : 0 and C18 : 0 fatty acids and trihydroxy- (C18 : 0) sphingoid for AGL01 and AGL1.
In addition, their thin layer chromatographic behavior and the results of compositional anal-ysis indicated presence of at least four more inositollipids to possibly be Man-InsMe-P-Cer (AGL22), Fuc-Ins-P-Cer (AGL3), Man-Ins-P-Cer (AGL4) and Man (Fuc-) Ins-P-Cer (AGL5).
