Isoantigenic expression of Forssman glycolipid in human gastric and colonic mucosa: its possible identity with "A-like antigen" in human cancer.

ABSTRACT: The heterogenetic Forssman antigen is a glycosphingolipid, a ceramide pentasaccharide with the structure GalNAcalpha1-->3GalNAcbeta1-->3Galalpha1-->4Galbeta1-->4Glc-->ceramide. Forssman-positive animals are capable of synthesizing this compound in tissues or in erythrocytes, in contrast to the Forssman-negative species, including humans, which are incapable of adding the last carbohydrate in the sequence of the Forssman antigen, namely alphaGalNAc. The Forssman glycolipid and its precursor globoside were examined in twenty-one samples of surgically extirpated gastrointestinal mucosa and tumors derived therefrom. The results revealed that a few patients had chemically and immunologically detectable levels of the Forssman glycolipid as a normal component of their gastrointestinal mucosa (F(+

SUBMITTER: Hakomori S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC431392 | biostudies-literature | 1977 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature