Jurkat cells were cultured alone or with 1–6. (A) The HPTLC plate was stained for sialic acid using resorcinol. Jurkat cells produce a variety of gangliosides: GM3, GM2, GM1a, and GD1a. The pattern of gangliosides changed upon introduction of unnatural sialic acid precursors Ac4ManNDAz(2me) and Ac4ManNAz, but not other compounds. (B) The HPTLC plate was probed with CTxB-488, which recognizes ganglioside GM1a. Naturally occurring GM1a molecules are present in all ganglioside extracts. Additional species with CTxB-488 reactivity (s✯) appeared when cells were cultured with Ac4ManNDAz(2me), Ac4ManNDAz(3me), or Ac4ManNAz.