Influence of trichloracetic acid-phosphotungstic acid on the thin layer chromatographic mobility of gangliosides

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-phosphotungstic acid (PTA) precipitation has been used as a faster procedure than dialysis for the isolation of gangliosides, but the TCA-PTA treatment causes striking abnormalities in the thin layer chromatographic mobilities of the gangliosides. However, a normal chromatographic pattern can be restored by treating the precipitated gangliosides with the tetrasodium salt of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid followed by dialysis. Hence, TCA-PTA treatment does not appear to cause artifacts or hydrolysis of the gangliosides.