Abstract
Gangliosides, belonging to species of glycosphingolipids (GSLs), are known to be involved in the formation lipid microdomains, so-called lipid rafts, on plasma membrane surfaces. The physicochemical properties of gangliosides deeply relate to the physiological functions of lipid rafts such as cell signaling. Previously we reported various unique characteristics of ganglioside aggregates and their complexes with other lipids. Due to the presence of oligosaccharide chain in the head portion, ganglioside molecules are very hydrophilic and form micellar structures in aqueous solvents. In this report we show the results of the hydration property of ganglioside micelles depending on alcohol concentration and species. The present results indicate that the increase both in the concentration and the number of hydrocarbon of alcohol induces the significant changes in the hydration of the ganglioside head portion and the packing parameter, which becomes to be more evidently seen with increasing the hydrocarbon chain length. It suggests that the competitive hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions between polar and non-polar groups both in ganglioside and alcohol molecules sensitively affect aggregative properties of gangliosides.
