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Isolation and partial characterization of Galα‐containing polyglycosylceramides from porcine tissues
Author(s) -
Leonardsson Irene,
MillerPodraza Halina,
Teneberg Susann,
Breimer Michael E.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
xenotransplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.052
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1399-3089
pISSN - 0908-665X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3089.2004.00076.x
Subject(s) - glycolipid , glycoprotein , xenotransplantation , antigen , biochemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , carbohydrate , immunostaining , chemistry , immunohistochemistry , immunology , transplantation , medicine
Mammalian cell surface carbohydrate antigens are present both as glycoproteins and glycolipids. Of the glycolipids, polyglycosylceramides (PGC) have very long carbohydrate chains extending out from the cell surface. Hereto, Gal α ‐terminating xenoantigens in pig tissues have been identified in glycoproteins and short chain glycolipids but no studies of the complex PGC have been performed. In this communication, we describe the isolation and partial characterization of PGC from pig erythrocytes, small intestinal mucosa, kidney and liver. The mucosa, kidney and liver PGC fractions contained a complex pattern of Gal α antigens as shown by immunostaining using the Griffonia Simplicifolia isolectin B 4 while no reactivity was found with the erythrocyte PGC fractions. The mucosa PGC fractions stained strongly for blood group A antigens while the erythrocyte PGC fractions were negative. The presence of Gal α ‐terminating PGC compounds in porcine tissue adds further complexity to the distribution of this xenoantigen. Due to the long carbohydrate chains, PGC will be important targets for the Gal α xenoantibodies in pig to human xenotransplantation.