Fluorometric detection and determination of carbohydrates by high-performance liquid chromatography using ethanolamine

Quantitative analysis of size and regional distribution of corpora amylacea in the hippocampal formation of obstructive sleep apnoea patients

Corpora amylacea (CoA) are spherical aggregates of glucose polymers and proteins within the periventricular, perivascular and subpial regions of the cerebral cortex and the hippocampal cornu ammonis (CA) subfields. The present study quantified the distribution of CoA in autopsied hippocampi of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) using ethanolamine-induced fluorescence. CoA were observed in 29 of 30 patients (96.7%). They were most abundant in periventricular regions (wall of lateral ventricle, alveus, fimbria and CA4), rarely found in the CA3 and CA1, and undetectable in the CA2 or subiculum. A spatiotemporal sequence of CoA deposition was postulated, beginning in the fimbria and progressively spreading around the subpial layer until they extended medially to the wall of the lateral ventricle and laterally to the collateral sulcus. This ranked CoA sequence was positively correlated with CoA packing density (count and area fraction) and negatively correlated with CoA minimum diameters (p < 0.05). Although this sequence was not correlated with age or body mass index (BMI), age was positively correlated with the mean and maximum diameters of CoA. These findings support the view that the spatiotemporal sequence of CoA deposition is independent of age, and that CoA become larger due to the accretion of new material over time.

Fermentation of corn starch to ethanol with genetically engineered yeast

Expression of the glucoamylase gene from Aspergillus awamori by laboratory and distiller's strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae allowed them to ferment soluble starch. Approximately 95% of the carbohydrates in the starch were utilized. Glycerol production was significantly decreased when soluble starch was used instead of glucose. Ethanol yield on soluble starch was higher than that on glucose. The rate of starch fermentation was directly related to the level of glucoamylase activity. Strains with higher levels of glucoamylase expression fermented starch faster. The decline in starch fermentation rates toward the end of the fermentation was associated with accumulation of disaccharides and limit dextrins, poor substrates for glucoamylase. The buildup of these products in continuous fermentations inhibited glucoamylase activity and complete utilization of the starch. Under these conditions maltose-fermenting strains had a significant advantage over nonfermenting strains. The synthesis and secretion of glucoamylase showed no deleterious effects on cell growth rates, fermetation rates, and fermentation products.

Sugar microanalysis by HPLC with benzoylation: Improvement via introduction of a C-8 cartridge and a high efficiency ODS column

An HPLC protocol for sugar microanalysis based on the formation of ultraviolet-absorbing benzoyl chloride derivatives was improved. Here, samples were prepared with a C-8 cartridge and analyzed with a high efficiency ODS column, in which porous spherical silica particles 3 microm in diameter were packed. These devices allowed us to simultaneously quantify multiple sugars and sugar alcohols up to 10 ng/ml and to provide satisfactory separations of some sugars, such as fructose and myo-inositol and sorbitol and mannitol. This protocol, which does not require special apparatuses, should become a powerful tool in sugar research.

Secondary calcium-binding parameter of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase obtained from inhibition kinetics

Calcium is required for the stabilization of alpha-amylase because of primary binding (essential binding), but has been shown to inhibit hydrolytic catalysis due to secondary binding at the catalytic site in the enzyme. The role of calcium in the hydrolysis of soluble amylose by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens alpha-amylase was characterized using the equilibrium dissociation constant (K(m)) and k(cat) for the hydrolytic catalysis. The enzymatic hydrolysis was inhibited by a relatively high concentration of calcium ions ([Ca2+] > or = 2.0 mM). The dissociation constant (Km) was increased with increasing calcium ion concentration. Because k(cat) was practically constant at the high calcium concentration range, a competitive inhibition kinetic model was applied to calculate the inhibition parameters in terms of the secondary calcium binding to the alpha-amylase. The enthalpy and entropy changes for the secondary binding were 54.8 kJ/mol and 215 J/mol.K, respectively, and these values suggest a strong entropic affinity for the bivalent ion binding to the enzyme. The thermodynamical analysis clearly shows the conformational changes in this a-amylase during the primary and secondary calcium ion binding.

Ultraviolet spectrometric determination of neutral monosaccharides by HPLC with ethanolamine

The reaction between ethanolamine and sugars in a borate solution gave intense UV absorption at 310 nm. By adding ethanolamine in the mobile phase, simple and sensitive ion-exchange HPLC of sugar-borate complexes was achieved. This method can be used to measure as little as 100 pmole of seven monosaccharides from pectic polysaccharides.

Purification method for alpha-1-acid glycoprotein with subsequent high-performance liquid chromatographic determination of monosaccharides in plasma of healthy subjects and patients with renal insufficiency

A simple purification method for human plasma alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) using an ion-exchange and hydroxyapatite column was developed. The recovery of the method was found to be high. We also improved a determination method for N-acetylneuraminic acid and monosaccharides in the carbohydrate moiety of AAG by using an ion-exchange column and pulse-amperometric detection. By this method, a composition analysis of the carbohydrate moiety of AAG (N-acetylneuraminic acid, fucose, N-acetyl glucosamine, galactose and mannose) was possible with 1.0 ml of plasma. We compared these carbohydrate concentrations in the AAG of patients with renal insufficiency with those of healthy subjects. In the AAG of the patients, the concentrations of N-acetylglucosamine, galactose and mannose were significantly higher than those in the AAG of the healthy subjects.

The development of a sensitive myo-inositol analyser using a liquid chromatograph with a post-label fluorescence detector

A sensitive liquid chromatographic analysis for myo-inositol was developed using glycocyamine as the post-labelling reagent. The sensitivity was 500 pmol/injection. The system was applied to analyse myo-inositol in sera from eight patients with chronic renal failure. The average concentration of serum myo-inositol was 498.6 +/- 257.0 mumol/L before haemodialysis, and 244.0 +/- 131.1 mumol/L after haemodialysis. These results indicated that the kidney is the main site of myo-inositol metabolism.

Fluorogenic reactions for biomedical chromatography

A number of fluorogenic reactions, which have been used for HPLC detection systems by means of pre- and/or postcolumn derivatization, are surveyed with respect to both sensitivity and selectivity for the determination of biomedically important substances. For the derivatization of the substances, two types of fluorogenic reactions, fluorescence-generating and fluorescence-tagging, have been studied. The former are usable in most instances for both pre- and postcolumn derivatization methods, and the latter only for precolumn derivatization methods. HPLC methods utilizing the fluorogenic reactions allow analytes to be detected at picomole-subfemtomole levels. In the fluorescence-generating reactions, several fluorogenic reagents possessing two or more reactive sites in the molecule, which show molecular recognition for a variety of analytes, permit facile and reproducible detection in HPLC because there are fewer interferences from biological matrices.

Erythrocyte galactokinase assay with high performance liquid chromatography

An assay for erythtocyte galactokinase based on high performance liquid chromatographic determination of galactose 1-phosphate (Gal-1-P) is described. The determination of Gal-1-P was applied to a post-column fluorometric detection of reducing sugars using arginine. This method is as sensitive and accurate as conventional radioisotopic methods, but needs no radioisotopic facilities. It requires only a small blood sample and is suitable as a follow-up test in neonatal screening.

Purification, characterization, and cell wall localization of an alpha-fucosidase that inactivates a xyloglucan oligosaccharin

An alpha-fucosidase that releases fucosyl residues from oligosaccharide fragments of xyloglucan, a plant cell wall hemicellulosic polysaccharide, was purified to homogeneity from pea (Pisum sativum) epicotyls using a combination of cation exchange chromatography and isoelectric focusing. The alpha-fucosidase has a molecular mass of 20 kDa according to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The alpha-fucosidase has an isoelectric point of 5.5. The substrate specificity of the alpha-fucosidase was determined by high performance anion exchange chromatographic analysis of oligosaccharide substrates and products. The enzyme hydrolyzes the terminal alpha-1,2-fucosidic linkage of oligosaccharides and does not cleave p-nitrophenyl-alpha-L-fucoside. The enzyme does not release measurable amounts of fucosyl residues from large polysaccharides. The subcellular localization of alpha-fucosidase in pea stems and leaves has been studied by immunogold cytochemistry. The alpha-fucosidase accumulates in primary cell walls and is not detectable in the middle lamella or in the cytoplasm of 8-day-old stem tissue and 14-day-old leaf tissue. alpha-Fucosidase activity was readily detected in extracts of 8-day-old stem tissue. No significant alpha-fucosidase activity or immunogold labeling of the alpha-fucosidase was detected in 2- and 4-day-old stem tissue indicating that production of alpha-fucosidase is developmentally regulated.

An o-toluidine method for detection of carbohydrates in protein hydrolysates

The o-toluidine high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for detection of reducing sugars has been demonstrated to be a facile method for composition analysis of protein hydrolysates with a maximum sensitivity range of 50-100 pmol. The solution phase reaction of o-toluidine with reducing sugars has been previously used for spectrophotometric detection of glucose at 480-630 nm. In contrast, the heterogeneous reaction of o-toluidine with reducing sugars resolved by thin-layer chromatography produces chromophoric derivatives which have a broad absorbance at 295 nm. Detection of these chromophoric derivatives is achieved by uv diffuse reflectance scanning densitometry. It is demonstrated that detection limits of less than 10 ng can be achieved by using HPTLC plates and is therefore equal or more sensitive for some sugars than recently reported high-pressure liquid chromatography methods using amperometric or fluorescence detection.

Use of water-soluble 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide for the fluorescent determination of uronic acids and carboxylic acids

Reaction between glucuronic acid and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) was monitored by the o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) method, which was developed for the fluorescent assay of compounds containing an amino group. About 1 nmol of glucuronic acid was detected by this method. This EDC-OPA method was effective in detecting not only acidic sugar but also carboxylic acid. Although the sensitivity of the EDC-OPA method was somewhat lower than that of amino acid determination by OPA, a very simple and convenient assay was attained for compounds containing a carboxyl group.

High-performance liquid affinity chromatography and in situ fluorescent labeling on thin-layer chromatography of glycosphingolipids

A method combining high-performance liquid affinity chromatography and in situ fluorescent labeling on thin-layer chromatography is introduced for determination of glycosphingolipids. Glycolipids in crude extract from rat liver were separated quantitatively from neutral lipids and phospholipids with a phenylboronic acid-derivatized silica gel column. Glycolipids were eluted quantitatively with approximately 98% of crude extract recovered. This column is useful for selective cleanup of glycosphingolipids in crude extract from tissue. Simultaneously, a fluorometric determination of glycosphingolipids with 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin after NaIO4 oxidation on a TLC plate was introduced and its condition was optimized. Glycolipids in amounts ranging from 1 to 100 pmol are easily detectable and give linear responses over the respective ranges. The method is fast and useful for the determination of glycolipids from small amounts of biological samples and requires a minimum amount of about 1 mg of biological specimen for determination of glycolipids.

A fluorescence assay for enzymes that cleave glycosidic linkages to produce reducing sugars

A rapid, facile, and sensitive assay has been developed for enzymes that generate reducing sugars. The assay is a modification of a method for post-HPLC column derivatization and detection of reducing sugars and is carried out in a single test tube. The assay is useful for large numbers of samples, such as those produced during purification of enzymes. Less than 500 pmol of reducing sugar can be quantitatively measured. The assay reported here is at least 10 times more sensitive than either the commonly employed parahydroxybenzoic acid hydrazide method or the recently reported bicinchoninate method, and 50 times more sensitive than the Nelson-Somogyi method.

Analysis of reducing sugars as their chromophoric hydrazones by high-performance liquid chromatography

A chromophoric hydrazide, 4'-N,N-dimethylamino-4-azobenzene sulfonyl hydrazide (DABS-hydrazide), was prepared from 4'-N,N-dimethylamino-4-azobenzene sulfonyl chloride by reaction with hydrazine. Reducing sugars were derivatized with DABS-hydrazide at 50 degrees C for 120 min. The chromophoric hydrazones were separated by reversed-phase HPLC isocratically using a short column (4.6 X 50 mm) and 0.08 M acetic acid-acetone as an eluant with no sample pretreatment and were quantitated at the picomole level. This method was applied to the sugar analysis of 5 micrograms of glycoproteins. Dansyl hydrazide derivatives of sugars were also separated by this HPLC system.

Profiling of carbohydrates, glycoproteins and glycolipids

Current chromatographic methods for the analysis of a variety of carbohydrate materials in body fluids and tissues have been reviewed, from the viewpoints of clean-up of samples, separation modes, methods for detection and quantification, and degree of convenience. This review also contains several tables, listing names of samples, methods of analysis, analytical conditions, and normal as well as pathological levels reported, from representative publications.

Separation of dansyl hydrazine-derivatized oligosaccharides by liquid chromatography

A sensitive method has been developed for the rapid separation of neutral oligosaccharides derivatized with dansyl hydrazine by liquid chromatography on silica gel modified with 1,4-diaminobutane. Malto-oligosaccharides from corn syrup in amounts ranging from 7 to 280 nmol and ovalbumin-derived oligosaccharides in amounts ranging from 0.25 to 250 nmol were easily detectable and gave linear responses over the respective ranges.

Isolation and quantitation of carbohydrates in sheep plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

The application of ultraviolet detection at 190 nm following chromatography on a Ca2+ cation-exchange column with a mobile phase of water enables the low amounts of carbohydrates present in plasma to be quantitated. The separation and quantitation of carbohydrates in maternal and fetal sheep plasma and amniotic fluid are described, as is the application of this method to the determination of specific radioactivities of glucose and fructose in plasma.

Separation of acidic oligosaccharides by liquid chromatography: application to analysis of sugar chains of glycoproteins

An ion-exchange, chromatographic system was developed to separate acidic oligosaccharides. Application of this system for the analysis of sialylated carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins was examined, and it was found that this system affords high resolution of acidic oligosaccharide isomers. (1) 3'-O-Neuraminyllactose, 6'-O-neuraminyllactose, and N-acetyl-6'-O-neuraminyllactosamine could be separated from bovine colostrum. (2) Subjection, to this system, of the oligosaccharide fraction released from bovine submaxillary mucin by treatment with alkaline borohydride resulted in good separation of the trisaccharide-alditol GlcNAc-(1 to 3)-[NeuAc-(2 to 6)]-GalNAcol and the disaccharide-alditol NeuAc- or NeuGc-(2 to 6)-GalNAcol. (3) When the serine- or threonine-linked oligosaccharide fraction obtained from human glycophorin A was subjected to this system, two monosialosylated, trisaccharide-alditol isomers, namely, NeuAc-(2 to 3)-Gal(1 to 3)-GalNAcol and Gal-(2 to 3)-[NeuAc-(2 to 6)]-GalNAcol, could be separated from each other. (4) The separation of so-called triantennary and biantennary, complex type of sugar chains of porcine thyroglobulin was achieved with this system.