Abstract
A method is described for the microscale characterization of the oligosaccharides of glycosphingolipids using high-performance cellulose TLC and autoradiofluorography. With this procedure the oligosaccharides of neutral glycosphingolipids and gangliosides were analyzed at an average detection level of 10 pmol. The method was tested with the known glycolipids from the erythrocytes of human, sheep, rabbit and guinea pig. As a further application small quantities of the as yet unidentified glycolipids of rat erythrocyte ghosts were isolated and their oligosaccharides determined.