Selective enrichment of phytosphingosine in glycosphingolipids of isolated human thyrocytes as compared to the whole thyroid.

The glycosphingolipids of isolated human thyrocytes have been analyzed. As compared to the total thyroid gland, the pattern of gangliosides was found to be similar, whereas the neutral glycolipid profile was quite different, with glucosylceramide as the major glycosphingolipid of thyrocytes. Moreover, this glucosylceramide contains almost exclusively phytosphingosine (4-D-hydroxy-sphinganine) which is only a minor component in the long-chain bases of the glycosphingolipids extracted from the whole thyroid gland.