Accelerated Transfer of Neutral Glycosphingolipids and Ganglioside G sub(M1) by a Purified Lipid Transfer Protein

The transfer of labeled neutral glycosphingolipids from sonicated phosphatidylcholine vesicles to erythrocyte ghosts is greatly stimulated by a nonspecific lipid transfer protein purified from beef liver. Globotetraglycosylceramide is transferred at a rate 40% of that for dipalmitoylphosphatidylchoine. II super(3)- alpha -N-Acetylneuraminosyl-gangliotetraglycosylceramide is also transferred by the transfer protein, either from sonicated phosphatidylcholine vesicles or from ganglioside micelles to erythrocyte ghosts. The nonspecific lipid transfer protein catalyzes the net transfer of glycosphingolipids from brush border membrane vesicles (from rabbit intestine) to sonicated phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol vesicles.