Disialoganglioside GD1a, (bovine brain)

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. They participate in cellular proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, signal transduction, cell-to-cell interactions, tumorigenesis, and metastasis.2 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. GD1a is one of the major brain gangliosides. It is a coreceptor of Toll-like receptor 2 signaling3 and it inhibits concanavalin A-induced 45Ca2 + uptake although it is not cytotoxic nor does it significantly alter the rate of Ca2 + efflux. Along with other gangliosides GD1a enhances tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. It is a receptor for cholera toxin and contributes to the sodium channel functional variability within and between neuronal cells. GD1a causes a significant increase in the responsiveness of epidermal growth factor receptors, a condition that is often associated with the formation of tumors.4