A monoclonal antibody directed to N-acetylneuraminosyl-alpha 2 leads to 6-galactosyl residue in gangliosides and glycoproteins.

A hybridoma cell line producing a monoclonal antibody directed to N-acetylneuraminosyl-alpha 2 leads to 6-galactosyl residue has been established. The antibody is IgG2b and reacts only with lacto-series gangliosides as well as with glycoproteins having an N-acetylneuraminosyl-alpha 2 leads to 6-galactosyl residue, but does not react with gangliosides or glycoproteins having an N-acetylneuraminosyl-alpha 2 leads to 3- or -alpha 2 leads to 4-galactosyl residue. The antibody is useful for detecting the specific carbohydrate chain having this terminal structure by immunostaining of glycolipids separated on thin layer chromatography or glycoproteins separated on gel electrophoresis after blotting on nitrocellulose sheet. A remarkable accumulation of a few gangliosides having this terminal structure has been detected by this monoclonal antibody in some human cancer.