Enzymatic release of oligosaccharides from glycolipids.

Selective cleavage of the oligosaccharide moiety of glycolipids for further structural analysis can be achieved by means of endoglycoceramidase (EGCase), an enzyme specific for the linkages between oligosaccharide and ceramide residues in glycolipids. The method described here can be used for analysis of glycolipids present in macroscopic amounts or for glycolipids that have been radiolabeled in their carbohydrate moiety.