Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) are the most abundant and diverse class of glycolipids in animals (and are also present in fungi, plants and invertebrates). Glycans present on GSLs have important roles in physiology and pathology. The ability to identify and measure GSLs is important for research in developmental neurobiology as well as lysosomal storage diseases such as Tay-Sachs and Gaucher’s disease. There is also growing interest in GSLs as possible targets for immunotherapy.
Ceramide glycanase is an enzyme used to release glycans from GSLs to enable their characterisation. It cleaves glycans including GM1, GM2 and GM3 by cleaving the β-glycosyl linkage. Glycans can then be labelled using LudgerTag labelling technology and then analysed.
Ludger has purified ceramide glycanase from Hirudo medicinalis and offers this as a LudgerZyme kit along with buffer and GM1 glycolipid.
