Structural studies have been performed on an oligosaccharide-lipid from thyroid believed to be an intermediate in glycoprotein synthesis. For these investigations the compound was isolated from the gland in unlabeled form as well as differentially radiolabeled in its saccharide, lipid, and phosphate portions by incubation of slices with [14C]- or [3H]glucose, [3H]mevalonic acid and [32P]phosphate, respectively. The unlabeled oligosaccharide-lipid was obtained in a chloroform/methanol/water (10/10/3) extract in a yield of about 1 nmol/g of thyroid and was purified therefrom by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The saccharide moiety released from the glycolipid by mild acid hydrolysis was isolated by gel filtration and contained 11 mannose, 1 to 2 glucose, and 2 N-acetylglucosamine residues. The reducing terminal position of the oligosaccharide was occupied by 1 of the glucosamine residues and from these analyses a molecular weight of 2,415 was calculated. That glucose is an integral part of the molecule was further demonstrated by the finding that during Dowex 50 chromatography it remained as a constituent of the positively charged oligosaccharide produced by deacetylation with alkaline borohydride at 80 degrees. The phosphorus content of the purified unlabeled oligosaccharide-lipid was determined to be 2 residues per molecule, suggesting the presence of a pyrophosphate bridge between its carbohydrate and lipid portions. Further evidence for such a linkage region was provided by characterization of the products from mild acid and alkaline hydrolysis of the differentially radiolabeled glycolipid. These included dolichyl mono- and pyrophosphate, oligosaccharide phosphate, and free oligosaccharide. Digestion with alpha-mannosidase of the radiolabeled glycolipid led to the release of 39% of its mannose while from the free oligosaccharide 53% of this sugar was removed. Acetolysis of the [14C]oligosaccharide yielded a mannobiose and mannotriose as well as larger fragments consisting of mannose, glucose, and glucosamine. Smith periodate degradation gave rise to a small core segment (6 glycose residues) made up only of mannose and glucosamine from which half of the mannose residues could be released by alpha-mannosidase digestion. From these studies a tentative structure for the carbohydrate moiety of the oligosaccharide-lipid has been proposed. In this formulation an inner core (periodate-resistant) made up of 4 mannose and 2 N-acetylglucosamine residues is attached to the pyrophosphate group by the most internal glucosamine. This core, as well as an additional mannose and 1 to 2 glucose residues, constitutes the alpha-mannosidase-resistant fragment. More peripherally are found other mannose residues, all in alpha-linkage. In this structural scheme the glucose is located so as to prevent the enzymatic release of more internally situated alpha-linked mannose residues.