ABSTRACT
Twelve different species of neutral monohexosyl ceramides (CMHs) and two species of neutral monohexosyl ceramides were isolated form mycelium and yeast forms of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, respectively, by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography, HPLC, and HPTLC. The glucosylceramides did not react with sera from patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). Carbohydrate analysis indicated that CMHs contain glucose. Analysis of (1)H-NMR and mass spectrometry data suggest that the structure of the CMHs is Glcpbeta1(Cer (mycelium forms present 12 different ceramides and yeast forms present 2 different ceramides). The composition of the lipid moieties was analyzed by negative fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. No glycosphingolipid other than glucosylceramide was detected in P. brasiliensis.