The structural diversity and localization of cell surface glycosphingolipids (GSLs), including gangliosides, in glycolipid-enriched microdomains (GEMs) render them ideally suited to play important roles in mediating cell recognition, adhesion, interactions, receptor function, and signaling. Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing GSLs, are most abundant in the nerve tissues. The quantity and expression pattern of gangliosides in brain change drastically throughout development and these changes are mainly regulated through stage-specific expression of glycosyltransferase genes. However, roles of gangliosides in neuronal differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is unclear. We previously demonstrated for the first time that the glycosyltransferase genes during mouse embryogenesis. So, we investigated the effects of ganglioside gene in differentiation of adipose-derived MSCs (AD-MSCs). GM2 and GD3 ganglioside synthease were increased during neuronal differentiation of AD-MSCs. This study showed that the differentiation of neuronal marker was decreased on the first step of ganglioside synthase UDP-glucose ceramide glucosyltransferase(UGCG) and knock downed GM2 sythase (B4GALNT1). The result of suggested that GM2 and GD3 might be important roles in the neural differentiation of mini-pig AD-MSCs. This work was carried out with the funding of the cooperative research Program for Agriculture Science & Technology Development[Project No. PJ00999901], the Rural Development Adiministration, the KRIBB Research Initiative Program[KGM4251622].

• You Na Seo(Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 570-749, Korea)
• Dong Hoon Kwak(Institute for glycoscience, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 570-749, Korea)
• Won Seok Ju(Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 570-749, Korea)
• Hyun Gyu Lim(Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 570-749, Korea)
• Sun-Uk Kim(National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology(KRIBB), O-chang, Chungbuk 363-883, Korea)
• Kyu-Tae Chang(National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology(KRIBB), O-chang, Chungbuk 363-883, Korea)
• Young-Kug Choo(Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences, Wonkwang University, Institute for glycoscience, Wonkwang University, Iksan, Jeonbuk 570-749, Korea)