associatedModerate evidence
Immune-mediated neuropathy
Anti-GM1 antibodies are associated with subsets of Guillain-Barre syndrome and multifocal motor neuropathy.1
Glycome Atlas
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Glycome Atlas
molecule
Also known as GM1, monosialotetrahexosylganglioside
Glc (β1-1) → Cer; Gal (β1-4) → Glc; GalNAc (β1-4) → Gal; Gal (β1-3) → GalNAc; Neu5Ac (α2-3) → Gal
How to read these diagrams (SNFG)
Each shape is a class of sugar and each colour a specific one. Structures read right to left, with the reducing end (the point of attachment) on the right.
Plain-language answer
GM1 is a specific ganglioside, a sugar-bearing fat molecule that is especially common on nerve cell membranes. It has one sialic acid and a short chain of sugars attached to a ceramide lipid tail.1
GM1 supports nerve cell function and is the surface molecule that cholera toxin latches onto to enter cells. It is studied in neurological conditions and as a marker for certain nerve-targeting antibodies.1
Technical detail
GM1 (Galβ1-3GalNAcβ1-4[Neu5Acα2-3]Galβ1-4Glcβ1-1'Cer) is a monosialoganglioside concentrated in neuronal membranes and lipid rafts, serving as the cholera toxin receptor and a modulator of neuronal signaling.1
GM1 carries a defined oligosaccharide bearing a single sialic acid on a ceramide anchor and partitions into lipid-raft microdomains where it helps organize receptors and signaling.1
Beyond serving as the cholera toxin receptor, GM1 influences neuronal survival and plasticity and is a target of autoantibodies in some peripheral neuropathies.1
Human relevance
Anti-GM1 antibodies are associated with subsets of Guillain-Barre syndrome and multifocal motor neuropathy.1
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References