Characterization of glycosphingolipids by direct inlet chemical ionization mass spectrometry.

Permethylated derivatives of cerebrosides and ceramide di-, tri-, tetra-, and penta-hexosides were analyzed by the direct inlet ammonia chemical ionization (CI) mass spectrometry. In the CI mass spectra, the fragment ions produced by the loss of methanol from the protonated molecular ion were observed in all of the glycosphingolipids. Other fragment ions due to the cleavage of glycosidic moiety were major ones under the CI conditions. These ions provide information on the molecular species of glycosphingolipids and the sugar sequence of their oligosaccharides. Glycosphingolipids with hydroxy fatty acids could also be differentiated from those with nonhydroxy fatty acids by comparing the intensities of characteristic fragment ions. The CI method should be particularly useful in structural studies of glycosphingolipids from natural sources.