Localization of verotoxin receptors in nervous system

We use immunohistochemistry to show the existence of verotoxin receptor in small sensory neurons in DRG of human, rabbit, rat and mouse. In capillary in nervous system, the verotoxin receptor exists in human and rabbit, but the receptor could not be demonstrated in rat and mouse, by this method. The receptors in sensory neuron of rat and in capillary in rabbit brain are determined as galactosylglobotriaosylceramide (GalGb3) and globotriaosylceramide (Gb3,), respectively. Although verotoxin was reported to bind to glycolipid receptors that possess the terminal disaccharide Galalpha1-4Galbeta (galactobiose), the binding to toxin to galabiosylceramide was half of that of GalGb3 which has galactobiose internally.