Globotetraosylceramides are bioactive neutral glycosphingolipids. They are the major glycolipids in human erythrocytes. They act as receptors for the Shiga toxins Stx1, Stx2, and Stx2e, the cytotoxic protein pierisin-1, and parvovirus B19. Globotetraosylceramides increase the expression of proteins responsible for enamel deposition, including ameloblastin, amelogenin, and enamelin, in dental epithelial cells and activate the ERK and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. Levels of globotetraosylceramides are elevated in fibroblasts from patients with salt and pepper syndrome, a neurocutaneous condition characterized by intellectual disability and hyper- and hypo-pigmented skin. Globotetraosylceramides (porcine RBC) contains a mixture of globotetraosylceramides with variable fatty acyl chain lengths isolated from porcine red blood cells.
R-BC154 is a high affinity fluorescent α4β1 α9β1 inhibitor (Kdvalues are 12.7 and 38 nM, respectively); fluorescent version of BOP. Rapidly and preferentially mobilizes HSCs and progenitorsin vivo. Excitation maximum, 561 nm; emissiosn maximum, 585 nm.