N-Hexadecanoyl-D9(13,13,14,14,15,15,16,16,16)-monosialoganglioside GM2

Gangliosides1 are acidic glycosphingolipids that form lipid rafts in the outer leaflet of the cell plasma membrane, especially in neuronal cells in the central nervous system.2 They participate in cellular proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, signal transduction, cell-to-cell interactions, tumorigenesis, and metastasis.3 The accumulation of gangliosides has been linked to several diseases including Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease. An autoimmune response against gangliosides can lead to Guillain-Barre syndrome. GM1 stimulates neuronal sprouting and enhances the action of nerve growth factor (NGF) by directly and tightly associating with Trk, the high-affinity tyrosine kinase-type receptor for NGF. It is the specific cell surface receptor for cholera toxin.4