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The study of gangliosides as a function of age indicates that four of the main components GD1a (G3), GD1b (G2), GT1 (G1) and GQ (G0) are present at birth. They increase with age. On thin-layer chromatography, GD1a seems to be maximum at 18 days and GD1b continues to increase. GM1 increases also from birth to adult age. A new ganglioside has been detected in Mouse brain during its development. Not detected 5 days after birth, it is present at 18 days and in maximal quantity at adult age. This compound does not seem to be correlated to myelination process.

In the adult Quaking mutant, there is an increase in some polysialogangliosides (GT1 and Gq) and a 50% decrease in BM1 content. Thus, the latter ganglioside, which is a constituent of mature myelin, could be linked to one of the late steps of the myelination process. A novel ganglioside ALG1, which appears during the postnatal development of brain, has been isolated and purified; it contains an alkali labile linkage and after alkaline treatment yields GT1b. Comparison between normal Mice and Quaking mutants does not show any significant quantitative differences, under our conditions. At the stage at which it appears, it could be linked to steps of brain maturation other than myelimation.