[Gangliosides in human senile cataractous, monkey, and rat lenses].

Our previous studies suggested that increases in certain polysialogangliosides are associated with the maturation of senile cataract and that these gangliosides possess an unknown sugar chain different from those of brain gangliosides. To study these gangliosides, crude ganglioside fractions from human, monkey, and rat lenses were isolated by solvent extraction and DEAE-Sephadex column chromatography, analyzed by thin-layer chromatography, and subjected to ganglioside mapping by high-performance liquid chromatography with DEASE-Iatrobeads. The distribution pattern of gangliosides obtained by mapping demonstrated the presence of the polysialogangliosides in monkey and rat lenses. The ganglioside pattern of monkey lens as shown by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography was similar to that of human senile cataractous lens and was characterized by the presence of unidentified spots. These results indicate that certain polysialogangliosides are unique to lens and are synthesized by an unidentified pathway.