Globoside is the most abundant neutral glycolipid in the erythrocyte membrane accumulating in lipid rafts of the cell wall. They are involved in cell communication, increase cell adhesion and function as receptors. It is an essential structure of the blood group P-antigen. A deficiency in this antigen leads to anti-globoside antibodies and the P blood group phenotypes. Globoside is a receptor for multiple toxins including P-fimbriated Escherichia coli, human parvovirus B191 and pierisin-1 toxin from the cabbage butterfly.2 In Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease globoside can accumulate due to the deficiency of the beta-hexosaminidase.3
