M. Wuhrer et al., Stage-associated expression of ceramide structures in glycosphingolipids from the human trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni, BBA-GEN SUB, 1524(2-3), 2000, pp. 155-161
Glycosphingolipids of Schistosoma mansoni adults, cercariae and eggs compri
se ceramide monohexosides (CMH) with glucose or galactose and ceramide dihe
xosides (CDH) with the schistosome-specific structure GalNAc(beta1-4)Glc(l-
l)ceramide. Ceramide analysis revealed C18- and C20-phytosphingosines in eg
g CMH, C18-sphinganine as well as C18-, C19- and C20-phytosphingosines in c
ercarial CMH, and C18- and C20-phytosphingosines as well as C18-sphingosine
and C18-sphinganine in adult CMH. For all three life cycle stages, the pre
dominant fatty acid was C16h:0. As a characteristic feature, a range of sat
urated, unsaturated and hydroxylated long-chain fatty acids with 24-28 carb
on atoms were additionally found in minor cercarial CMH species. The corres
ponding ceramides represented major constituents in cercarial CDH, while ad
ult and egg CDH were dominated by ceramides with short fatty acid chains. T
he resultant ceramide patterns could be correlated with the differential ex
pression of carbohydrate antigens on schistosomal glycolipids at various st
ages. A possible impact of ceramide structure on the biosynthesis of the ca
rbohydrate moieties is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights
reserved.