Neutral core oligosaccharides of bovine submaxillary mucin--use of lead tetraacetate in the cold for establishing branch positions

Separations of Carbohydrates with Noncovalent Shift Reagents by Frequency-Modulated Ion Mobility-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

An increased focus on characterizing the structural heterogeneity of carbohydrates has been driven by their many significant roles in extant life and potential roles in chemical evolution and the origin of life. In this work, multiplexed drift tube ion mobility-Orbitrap mass spectrometry methods were developed to analyze mixtures of disaccharides modified with noncovalent shift reagents. Since traditional coupling of atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility cells with Orbitrap mass analyzers suffers from low duty cycles (<0.1%), a frequency modulation scheme was applied to improve the signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Several parameters such as the resolution setting and maximum injection time of the Orbitrap analyzer and the magnitude and duration of the frequency sweep were investigated for their impact on the sensitivity gains and resolution of disaccharide-shift reagent adducts. The sweep time and disaccharide concentration had a positive correlation with SNR. The magnitude of the frequency sweep had a negative correlation with SNR. However, increasing the frequency sweep improved the resolution of mixtures of disaccharide analytes. Application of frequency-modulated ion mobility-Orbitrap mass spectrometry to four noncovalently modified glucose dimers allowed for the differentiation of three out of these four analytes.

Cellular O-Glycome Reporter/Amplification (CORA): Analytical and Preparative Tools to Study Mucin-Type O-Glycans of Living Cells

Mucin-type O-glycosylation (O-glycans, O-glycome) is among the most biologically important post-translational modification in glycoproteins but O-glycan structural diversity and expression are poorly understood due to the inadequacy of current analytical methods. We recently developed a new tool termed cellular O-glycome reporter/amplification (CORA), which uses O-glycan precursors, benzyl-α-GalNAc (Bn-α-GalNAc) or azido-Bn-α-GalNAc (N₃ -Bn-α-GalNAc), as surrogates of protein O-glycosylation. Living cells metabolically convert these precursors to all types of O-GalNAc glycans representative of the cells' capabilities. The amplification and secretion of the O-glycome products greatly facilitates their analysis and functional studies. Here we describe protocols for analytical and preparative applications. © 2021 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Basic Protocol 1: Cellular O-glycome reporter/amplification for the analysis of mucin-type O-glycans from living cells Basic Protocol 2: Preparation of cellular O-glycans from living cells for functional glycomics and glycan microarrays Basic Protocol 3: Conjugation of cellular O-glycans with a bifunctional fluorescent tag Basic Protocol 4: 2D-HPLC purification and MALDI-TOF/MS identification of individual PYAB-Bn-O-glycan.

Altered glycosylation in cancer: A promising target for biomarkers and therapeutics

Glycosylation is a well-regulated cell and microenvironment specific post-translational modification. Several glycosyltransferases and glycosidases orchestrate the addition of defined glycan structures on the proteins and lipids. Recent advances and systemic approaches in glycomics have significantly contributed to a better understanding of instrumental roles of glycans in health and diseases. Emerging research evidence recognized aberrantly glycosylated proteins as the modulators of the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. The Cancer Genome Atlas has identified alterations in the expressions of glycosylation-specific genes that are correlated with cancer progression. However, the mechanistic basis remains poorly explored. Recent researches have shown that specific changes in the glycan structures are associated with 'stemness' and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of cancer cells. Moreover, epigenetic changes in the glycosylation pattern make the tumor cells capable of escaping immunosurveillance mechanisms. The deciphering roles of glycans in cancer emphasize that glycans can serve as a source for the development of novel clinical biomarkers. The ability of glycans in intervening various stages of tumor progression and the biosynthetic pathways involved in glycan structures constitute a promising target for cancer therapy. Advances in the knowledge of innovative strategies for identifying the mechanisms of glycan-binding proteins are hoped to hold great potential in cancer therapy. This review discusses the fundamental role of glycans in regulating tumorigenesis and tumor progression and provides insights into the influence of glycans in the current tactics of targeted therapies in the clinical setting.

Influence of Glycosylation on Interfacial Properties of Recombinant Mucins: Adsorption, Surface Forces, and Friction

Interfacial properties of two brush-with-anchor mucins, C-P55 and C-PSLex, have been investigated at the aqueous solution/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) interface. Both are recombinant mucin-type fusion proteins, produced by fusing the glycosylated mucin part of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSLG-1) to the Fc part of a mouse immunoglobulin in two different cells. They are mainly expressed as dimers upon production. Analysis of the O-glycans shows that the C-PSLex mucin has the longer and more branched side chains, but C-P55 has slightly higher sialic acid content. The adsorption of the mucins to PMMA surfaces was studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. The sensed mass, including the adsorbed mucin and water trapped in the layer, was found to be similar for these two mucin layers. Atomic force microscopy with colloidal probe was employed to study surface and friction forces between mucin-coated PMMA surfaces. Purely repulsive forces of steric origin were observed between mucin layers on compression, whereas a small adhesion was detected between both mucin layers on decompression. This was attributed to chain entanglement. The friction force between C-PSLex-coated PMMA is lower than that between C-P55-coated PMMA at low loads, but vice versa at high loads. We discuss our results in terms of the differences in the glycosylation composition of these two mucins.

Enhanced Mixture Separations of Metal Adducted Tetrasaccharides Using Frequency Encoded Ion Mobility Separations and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Using five isomeric tetrasaccharides in combination with seven multivalent metals, the impact on mobility separations and resulting CID spectra were examined using a hybrid ion mobility atmospheric pressure drift tube system coupled with a linear ion trap. By enhancing the duty cycle of the drift tube system using a linearly chirped frequency, the collision-induced dissociation spectra were encoded in the mobility domain according to the drift times of each glycan isomer precursor. Differential fragmentation patterns correlated with precursor drift times ensured direct assignment of fragments with precursor structure whether as individual standards or in a mixture of isomers. In addition to certain metal ions providing higher degrees of separation than others, in select cases more than one arrival time distribution was observed for a single pure carbohydrate isomer. These observations suggest the existence of alternative coordination sites within a single monomeric species, but more interesting was the observation of different fragmentation ion yields for carbohydrate dimers formed through metal adduction. Positive-ion data were also compared with negative-ion species, where dimer formation did not occur and single peaks were observed for each isomeric tetrasaccharide-alditol. This enhanced analytical power has implications not only for carbohydrate molecules but also for a wide variety of complex mixtures of molecules where dissociation spectra may potentially be derived from combinations of monomeric, homodimeric, and heterodimeric species having identical nominal m/z values. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Enhancing MS(n) mass spectrometry strategy for carbohydrate analysis: A b2 ion spectral library

Searchable mass spectral libraries for glycans may be enhanced using a B2 ion library. Using a quadrupole ion-trap mass spectrometer, successive fragmentations of sodiated oligosaccharides were carried out in the positive ion mode. In B,Y-type fragmentation, disaccharide B2 ions are generated which correspond to specific glycosidic linkages using progressive MS stages. Fragmentation of "B2 ions" corresponding to glycosidic linkages such as Hex-Fuc, Hex-Hex, Hex-HexNAc, HexNAc-Hex and HexNAc-HexNAc, were systematically studied in low energy CID and collected to form a "B2 library". Linkages produce characteristic fragmentation patterns in the absence of cross-ring fragmentation. Patterns of "B2 ions" rely on relative stability of glycosidic bonds and carbohydrate-metal complexes in the gas phase. MS(n) studies of linear, branched trisaccharides and tetrasaccharides show that isomers for which B2 ion information is not available are rarely a problem in practice by their absence in an isomeric sequence or by their scarcity in nature. This MS strategy for linkage determination of carbohydrates aided by a "B2 library" was developed with a scope for expansion, providing an improved tool for glycomics. We validated this method examining levels of expressed activities of two glycosyl transferases in cancer cell lines: β3(B3GALNT2) and β4GalNAcT(B4GALNT3&4) that generate GalNAcβ3GlcNAcβ and GalNAcβ4GlcNAcβ.

BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Glycosylation is an important class of the "postranslationome", which includes manifold aspects of post-translational protein modification, affecting protein conformation, providing ligands for protein receptors [1-5], and encoding unique haptenic [6,7] or antigenic markers for oncology [8-11] and other applications. Identification of individual monomeric units, linkages, ring size, branching and anomerity has posed significant challenges to mass spectrometrists. MS(n) is a growing key instrumental method to differentiate among isomers [12]. While the potential isomers in oligosaccharides are impossibly large [12], likely possibilities can be limited by the biological system, including the expressed glycosyl transferases [13-20]. Mass spectra from sequential stages of collision activation (MS(n)) can supply structural details for precise characterization of linkage, monomer ID, substitutions, anomerity and branching [21-25]. There is a fundamental need for high throughput tools in glycomics to complement proteome studies. In that regard, nothing could be more important than searchable spectral library files for structural confirmation. The National Academy of Science (NAS) report (http://glyco.nas.edu) recommends the need of more than 10,000 synthetic structures of carbohydrates to advance the field of glycomics. This study demonstrates that the general reproducibility of ion trap spectra, and energy independence from modes of ionization and collisional activation, make compiling an MS(n) library for carbohydrate identification an achievable research target [26]. We intend to use the new B2 library for carbohydrate differences found on cancers, where we profile the glycosyltransferases to predict classes of potential structures, and use the library for MS identification of the expected cohort of altered structures.

Ion mobility mass spectrometry analysis of isomeric disaccharide precursor, product and cluster ions

RATIONALE

Carbohydrates are highly variable in structure owing to differences in their anomeric configurations, monomer stereochemistry, inter-residue linkage positions and general branching features. The separation of carbohydrate isomers poses a great challenge for current analytical techniques.

METHODS

The isomeric heterogeneity of disaccharide ions and monosaccharide-glycolaldehyde product ions was evaluated using electrospray traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry (Synapt G2 high-definition mass spectrometer) in both positive and negative ion modes.

RESULTS

The separation of isomeric disaccharide ions was observed but not fully achieved based on their mobility profiles. The mobilities of isomeric product ions, the monosaccharide-glycolaldehydes, derived from different disaccharide isomers were measured. Multiple mobility peaks were observed for both monosaccharide-glycolaldehyde cations and anions, indicating that there was more than one structural configuration in the gas phase as verified by NMR in solution. More importantly, the mobility patterns for isomeric monosaccharide-glycolaldehyde product ions were different, which enabled partial characterization of their respective disaccharide ions. Abundant disaccharide cluster ions were also observed. The results showed that a majority of isomeric cluster ions had different drift times and, moreover, more than one mobility peak was detected for a number of specific cluster ions.

CONCLUSIONS

It is demonstrated that ion mobility mass spectrometry is an advantageous method to assess the isomeric heterogeneity of carbohydrate compounds. It is capable of differentiating different types of carbohydrate ions having identical m/z values as well as multiple structural configurations of single compounds.

Evaluation of ion mobility-mass spectrometry for determining the isomeric heterogeneity of oligosaccharide-alditols derived from bovine submaxillary mucin

Rapid separation and independent analysis of isomeric species are needed for the structural characterization of carbohydrates in glycomics research. Ion mobility-mass spectrometry techniques were used to examine a series of isomeric neutral oligosaccharide-alditols derived from bovine submaxillary mucin. Several analytical techniques were employed: (1) off line separation of the oligosaccharide-alditol mixture by HPLC; (2) direct and rapid evaluation of isomeric heterogeneity of oligosaccharides by electrospray ionization-ion mobility-time of flight mass spectrometry; and (3) mobility-selected MS² and MS³ to evaluate isomeric mobility peaks by dual gate ion mobility-tandem mass spectrometry. Multiple isomeric ion mobility peaks were observed for the majority of oligosaccharide-alditols, which was achieved on the millisecond time scale after LC separation. Fragmentation spectra obtained from the collision-induced dissociation of isomeric precursor ions could be essentially identical, or dramatically different for a given precursor m/z using the dual-gate ion mobility quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. This further confirmed the need for rapid physical resolution of isomeric precursor species prior to their tandem mass spectral analysis.

Carbohydrate structure characterization by tandem ion mobility mass spectrometry (IMMS)2

A high resolution ion mobility spectrometer was interfaced to a Synapt G2 high definition mass spectrometer (HDMS) to produce IMMS-IMMS analysis. The hybrid instrument contained an electrospray ionization source, two ion gates, an ambient pressure linear ion mobility drift tube, a quadrupole mass filter, a traveling wave ion mobility spectrometer (TWIMS), and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The dual gate drift tube ion mobility spectrometer (DTIMS) could be used to acquire traditional IMS spectra but also could selectively transfer specific mobility selected precursor ions to the Synapt G2 HDMS for mass filtration (quadrupole). The mobility and mass selected ions could then be introduced into a collision cell for fragmentation followed by mobility separation of the fragment ions with the traveling wave ion mobility spectrometer. These mobility separated fragment ions are finally mass analyzed using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. This results in an IMMS-IMMS analysis and provides a method to evaluate the isomeric heterogeneity of precursor ions by both DTIMS and TWIMS to acquire a mobility-selected and mass-filtered fragmentation pattern and to additionally obtain traveling wave ion mobility spectra of the corresponding product ions. This new IMMS(2) instrument enables the structural diversity of carbohydrates to be studied in greater detail. The physical separation of isomeric oligosaccharide mixtures was achieved by both DTIMS and TWIMS, with DTIMS demonstrating higher resolving power (70-80) than TWIMS (30-40). Mobility selected MS/MS spectra were obtained, and TWIMS evaluation of product ions showed that isomeric forms of fragment ions existed for identical m/z values.

Resolving structural isomers of monosaccharide methyl glycosides using drift tube and traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry

Monosaccharide structural isomers including sixteen methyl-D-glycopyranosides and four methyl-N-acetylhexosamines were subjected to ion mobility measurements by electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry. Two ion mobility-MS systems were employed: atmospheric pressure drift tube ion mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry and a Synapt G2 HDMS system which incorporates a low pressure traveling wave ion mobility separator. All the compounds were investigated as [M + Na](+) ions in the positive mode. A majority of the monosaccharide structural isomers exhibited different mobility drift times in either system, depending on differences in their anomeric and stereochemical configurations. In general, drift time patterns (relative drift times of isomers) matched between the two instruments. Higher resolving power was observed using the atmospheric pressure drift tube. Collision cross section values of monosaccharide structural isomers were directly calculated from the atmospheric pressure ion mobility experiments, and a collision cross section calibration curve was made for the traveling wave ion mobility instrument. Overall, it was demonstrated that ion mobility-mass spectrometry using either drift tube or traveling wave ion mobility is a valuable technique for resolving subtle variations in stereochemistry among the sodium adducts of monosaccharide methyl glycosides.

Synthetic lectin arrays for the detection and discrimination of cancer associated glycans and cell lines

Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of various disease states, including cancer, and effective detection and discrimination between healthy and diseased cells is an important challenge for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Here, we describe the use of boronic acid functionalized synthetic lectins (SLs) in an array format for the differentiation of structurally similar cancer associated glycans and cancer cell lines; discrimination is based on subtle variations in glycosylation patterns. We further demonstrate the utility of our SLs in recognizing glycoproteins with up to 50-fold selectivity, even in 95% human serum. Given their robust and selective nature, these SLs were able to effectively distinguish (a) five structurally similar glycans with 94% accuracy; (b) seven normal, cancerous and metastatic colon cancer cell lines, including three isogenic cell lines, with 92% accuracy; and (c) these same seven cell lines using a guided statistical analysis to improve our analysis to 97% accuracy. In total, these data suggest that an SL-based array will be useful for the diagnosis of cancer.

Ion mobility-mass spectrometry analysis of isomeric carbohydrate precursor ions

The rapid separation of isomeric precursor ions of oligosaccharides prior to their analysis by mass spectrometry to the nth power (MS(n)) was demonstrated using an ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) interfaced with a quadrupole ion trap. Separations were not limited to specific types of isomers; representative isomers differing solely in the stereochemistry of sugars, in their anomeric configurations, and in their overall branching patterns and linkage positions could be resolved in the millisecond time frame. Physical separation of precursor ions permitted independent mass spectra of individual oligosaccharide isomers to be acquired to at least MS(3), the number of stages of dissociation limited only practically by the abundance of specific product ions. IMS-MS(n) analysis was particularly valuable in the evaluation of isomeric oligosaccharides that yielded identical sets of product ions in tandem mass spectrometry experiments, revealing pairs of isomers that would otherwise not be known to be present in a mixture if evaluated solely by MS dissociation methods alone. A practical example of IMS-MS(n) analysis of a set of isomers included within a single high-performance liquid chromatography fraction of oligosaccharides released from bovine submaxillary mucin is described.

The Stereochemical Dependence of Unimolecular Dissociation of Monosaccharide-Glycolaldehyde Anions in the Gas Phase: A Basis for Assignment of the Stereochemistry and Anomeric Configuration of Monosaccharides in Oligosaccharides by Mass Spectrometry via a Key Discriminatory Product Ion of Disaccharide Fragmentation, m/z 221

Mass spectrometry of hexose-containing disaccharides often yields product ions of m/z 221 in the negative ion mode. Using a Paul trap, isolation and collision-induced dissociation of the m/z 221 anions yielded mass spectra that easily differentiated their stereochemistry and anomeric configuration, for all 16 stereochemical variants. The ions were shown to be glycopyranosyl-glycolaldehydes through chemical synthesis of their standards. The stereochemistry dramatically affected fragmentation which was dependent on four relative stereochemical arrangements: (1) the relationship between the hydroxyl group at position 2 and the anomeric configuration, (2) a cis relationship of the anomeric position and positions 2 and 3 (1,2,3-cis), (3) a 1,2 trans-2,3 cis relationship, and (4) the relationship between the hydroxyl group at position 4 and the anomeric configuration. After labeling the reducing carbonyl oxygen of a series of disaccharides with 18O to mass-discriminate between their monosaccharide components, it was demonstrated that m/z 221 anions are comprised of an intact nonreducing sugar glycosidically linked to a 2-carbon aglycon derived from the reducing sugar, irrespective of the linkage position between monosaccharides. This enabled the location of the intact sugar to be assigned to the nonreducing side of a glycosidic linkage. Detailed studies of experimental factors necessary for reproducibility demonstrated that the unique mass spectrum for each m/z 221 anion could be obtained from month-to-month through the use of an internal energy-input calibrant ion that ensured reproducible energy deposition into the ions. The counterparts to these ions for the 2-acetamido-2-deoxyhexoses were m/z 262 anions, and the anomeric configuration and stereochemistry of these anions could also be reproducibly discriminated for N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine. The fragmentation patterns of m/z 221 anions provide a firm reproducible basis for assignment of sugar stereochemistries in the gas phase.

Rapid resolution of carbohydrate isomers by electrospray ionization ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometry-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-APIMS-TOFMS)

Carbohydrates are an extremely complex group of isomeric molecules that have been difficult to analyze in the gas phase by mass spectrometry because (1) precursor ions and product ions to successive stages of MS(n) are frequently mixtures of isomers, and (2) detailed information about the anomeric configuration and location of specific stereochemical variants of monosaccharides within larger molecules has not been possible to obtain in a general way. Herein, it is demonstrated that gas-phase analyses by direct combination of electrospray ionization, ambient pressure ion mobility spectrometry, and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-APIMS-TOFMS) provides sufficient resolution to separate different anomeric methyl glycosides and to separate different stereoisomeric methyl glycosides having the same anomeric configuration. Reducing sugars were typically resolved into more than one peak, which might represent separation of cyclic species having different anomeric configurations and/or ring forms. The extent of separation, both with methyl glycosides and reducing sugars, was significantly affected by the nature of the drift gas and by the nature of an adducting metal ion or ion complex. The study demonstrated that ESI-APIMS-TOFMS is a rapid and effective analytical technique for the separation of isomeric methyl glycosides and simple sugars, and can be used to differentiate glycosides having different anomeric configurations.

Differentiation of the anomeric configuration and ring form of glucosyl-glycolaldehyde anions in the gas phase by mass spectrometry: isomeric discrimination between m/z 221 anions derived from disaccharides and chemical synthesis of m/z 221 standards

Mass spectrometry of disaccharides in the negative-ion mode frequently generates product anions of m/z 221. With glucose-containing disaccharides, dissociation of isolated m/z 221 product ions in a Paul trap yielded mass spectra that easily differentiated between both anomeric configurations and ring forms of the ions. These ions were shown to be glucosyl-glycolaldehydes through chemical synthesis of their standards. By labeling the reducing carbonyl oxygen of disaccharides with 18O to mass discriminate between monosaccharides, it was established that the m/z 221 ions are comprised solely of an intact nonreducing sugar with a two-carbon aglycon derived from the reducing sugar, regardless of the disaccharide linkage position. This enabled the anomeric configuration and ring form of the ion to be assigned and the location of the ion to the nonreducing side of a glycosidic linkage to be ascertained. Detailed studies of experimental factors necessary for reproducibility in a Paul trap demonstrated that the unique dissociation patterns that discriminate between the isomeric m/z 221 ions could be obtained from month-to-month in conjunction with an internal energy-input calibrant ion that ensures reproducible energy deposition into isolated m/z 221 ions. In addition, MS/MS fragmentation patterns of disaccharide m/z 341 anions in a Paul trap enabled linkage positions to be assigned, as has been previously reported with other types of mass spectrometers.

Mass spectrometric profiling ofO-linked glycans released directly from glycoproteins in gels using in-gel reductive β-elimination

Glycosylation is a widespread PTM of proteins; the carbohydrate moieties provide various functional, immunological and structural aspects of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic glycoproteins. Traditional strategies used to analyse glycoprotein O-glycans involve glycoprotein isolation, followed by glycan release using solution-phase base-catalysed beta-elimination. However, in a proteomics context, mixtures of proteins and glycoproteins are routinely separated using SDS-PAGE. We have therefore developed a method to enable the profiling of O-linked glycans directly from glycoproteins on gels. This is achieved using in-gel reductive beta-elimination followed by mass spectrometric analysis of the released glycans. Here we describe our demonstration of the feasibility of this approach, our development and optimisation of the procedure using bovine submaxillary gland glycoproteins as a standard, and then show its usefulness by applying the developed procedure to the analysis of the O-glycans from a glycoprotein band from a Coomassie-stained SDS-PAGE separation of a mixture of Mycobacterium avium capsular proteins and glycoproteins. The procedure has been shown to be applicable to both CBB- and silver-stained gels. The method offers a quick and easy way to identify the O-glycans from gel-separated glycoproteins within gel-based proteomics workflows.

Separation of sodiated isobaric disaccharides and trisaccharides using electrospray ionization-atmospheric pressure ion mobility-time of flight mass spectrometry

A series of isobaric disaccharide-alditols, four derived from O-linked glycoproteins, and select trisaccharides were rapidly resolved using tandem high resolution atmospheric pressure ion-mobility time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Electrospray ionization was used to create the gas-phase sodium adducts of each carbohydrate. Using this technique it was possible to separate up to three isobaric disaccharide alditols and three trisaccharides in the gas phase. Reduced mobility values and experimentally determined ion-neutral cross sections are reported for each sodium-carbohydrate complex. These studies demonstrated that ion mobility separations at atmospheric pressure can provide a high-resolution dimension for analysis of carbohydrate ions that is complementary to traditional mass spectral (m/z) ion analysis. Combining these independent principles for separation of ions provides a powerful new bioanalytical tool for the identification of isomeric carbohydrates.

Confirmation of the D configuration of the 2-substituted arabinitol 1-phosphate residue in the capsular polysaccharide from Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 17F

The absolute configuration of the 2-substituted arabinitol 1-phosphate residue present in the repeating unit of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) from Streptococcus pneumoniae Type 17F is confirmed as D, based on a comparison of proton and carbon chemical shifts in a synthetic oligosaccharide and in an oligosaccharide derived from the CPS by degradation.

An effective strategy for structural elucidation of oligosaccharides through NMR spectroscopy combined with peracetylation using doubly 13C-labeled acetyl groups

The use of NMR spectroscopy for the elucidation of larger carbohydrate structures isolated from natural sources is principally limited by severe overlap of 1H signals, poor sensitivity when experiments involve 13C nuclei, and difficulties in conclusively establishing linkage positions. Peracetylation of oligosaccharides with doubly 13C-labeled acetyl groups provides several major advantages for their structural elucidation when combined with specifically tailored NMR pulse sequences. The 2.5–4.7 Hz J-coupling constants between acetyl carbonyl-13C nuclei and protons of the sugar ring at the sites of acetylation enables these sites to be readily assigned. By inference, glycosidic linkage positions on monosaccharides can be unambiguously determined. This can be used in lieu of permethylation analysis, yet does not require degradation of oligosaccharides. Spectral dispersion in the directly detected (1H) dimension is increased ~2.6–2.7-fold due to the downfield shifting of sugar-ring protons at the positions of acetylation. Peracetylation also introduces three new frequency dimensions for NMR studies, namely the 13CO, 13CMe, and 1HMe frequencies of the acetyl groups. These frequencies can be correlated to sugar protons, either independently or in combination, in alternative 2-, 3-, or 4-D experiments. The use of Hartmann–Hahn coherence transfer combined with zero-quantum dephasing periods permits purely absorptive in-phase multiplets to be extracted and enables accurate scalar couplings between ring protons to be measured, even in multidimensional experiments. Results are illustrated on a nonasaccharide-alditol derived from N-linked glycoproteins and on some smaller structures containing sialic acids and N-acetylhexosamines. Methods for small-scale sample acetylation using the superacylation catalyst, 4-dimethylamino pyridine, are described. A brief historical perspective pertinent to the fundamental contributions of Dr. R.U. Lemieux to the field of carbohydrate NMR is also presented.Key words: NMR, oligosaccharides, peracetylation, doubly 13C-labeled acetyl groups, tailored pulse sequences, heteronuclear Hartmann–Hahn.

In vivo glycosylation of mucin tandem repeats

The biochemical and biophysical properties of mucins are largely determined by extensive O-glycosylation of serine- and threonine-rich tandem repeat (TR) domains. In a number of human diseases aberrant O-glycosylation is associated with variations in the properties of the cell surface-associated and secreted mucins. To evaluate in vivo the O-glycosylation of mucin TR domains, we generated recombinant chimeric mucins with TR sequences from MUC2, MUC4, MUC5AC, or MUC5B, which were substituted for the native TRs of epitope-tagged MUC1 protein (MUC1F). These hybrid mucins were extensively O-glycosylated and showed the expected association with the cell surface and release into culture media. The presence of different TR domains within the chimeric mucins appears to have limited influence on their posttranslational processing. Alterations in glycosylation were detailed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry and reactivity with antibodies against particular blood-group and tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens. Future applications of these chimeras will include investigations of mucin posttranslational modification in the context of disease.

Selective expression of different fucosylated epitopes on two distinct sets of Schistosoma mansoni cercarial O-glycans: identification of a novel core type and Lewis X structure

The glycobiology of Schistosoma mansoni is dominated by developmentally regulated expression of various fucosylated structures, most notably the Lewis X epitope and a multifucosylated sequence, Fuc alpha1-->2Fuc alpha1-->, in its various forms. For the infective cercarial stage, Lewis X has been structurally identified on glycosphingolipids and N-glycans of total glycoprotein extracts, and a population of multifucosylated glycoproteins were found to carry a unique terminal sequence, +/-Fuc alpha1-->2Fuc alpha1-->[3GalNAc beta1-->4(Fuc alpha1-->2Fuc alpha1--> 2Fuc alpha1-->3) GlcNAc beta1-->3Gal alpha1-->](n), on their O-glycans. Using a mass spectrometry approach coupled with chromatographic separation, sequential exoglycosidase digestion, periodate oxidation, and other chemical derivatization, we demonstrate that Lewis X could also be carried on the cercarial O-glycans, but the two distinctive sets of fucosylated epitopes were conjugated to two different core structures. Lewis X, lacNAc, or single GlcNAc was found to attach directly to the -->3Gal beta1-->3GalNAc core and indirectly via another beta-Gal residue branching off from C6 of the reducing end GalNAc to give a biantennary-like structure. The -->3(+/-Gal beta1-->6)Gal beta1-->3(-->3Gal beta1-->6)GalNAc core thus characterized represents a novel core type for O-glycans. In contrast, the previously characterized multifucosylated terminal sequences were carried on conventional type 1 and 2 cores. The smallest structures of the reductively released O-glycans were defined as GalNAc beta1-->4GlcNAc beta1-->3Gal beta1-->3GalNAcitol with a total of two to four fucoses attached to the terminal lacdiNAc. alpha-Galactosylation of the nonreducing terminal beta-GalNAc instead of fucose capping leads to further elongation with another lacdiNAc unit that could also extend directly from C6 of the reducing end GalNAc and similarly elongated or terminated.

NMR assignments for glucosylated and galactosylated N-acetylhexosaminitols: oligosaccharide alditols related to O-linked glycans from the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi

We report full 1H and 13C NMR assignments for 13 gluco- or galacto-pyranosylated derivatives of GlcNAc-ol, GalNAc-ol or ManNAc-ol, many of which have been prepared by enzymatic methods. These spectra are reference data to aid the structural analysis by NMR spectroscopy of glycosylated alditols derived from the mucin of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. A series of structural reporter groups for the derivatives from this unusual series of O-glycans are described.

Three bovine alpha2-fucosyltransferase genes encode enzymes that preferentially transfer fucose on Galbeta1-3GalNAc acceptor substrates

To investigate the synthesis of alpha2-fucosylated epitopes in the bovine species, we have characterized cDNAs from various tissues. We found three distinct alpha2-fucosyltransferase genes, named bovine fut1, fut2, and sec1 which are homologous to human FUT1, FUT2, and Sec1 genes, respectively. Their open reading frames (ORF) encode polypeptides of 360 (bovine H), 344 (bovine Se), and 368 (bovine Sec1) amino acids, respectively. These enzymes transfer fucose in alpha1,2 linkage to ganglioside GM(1)and galacto- N -biose, but not to the phenyl-beta-D-galactoside, type 1 or type 2 acceptors, suggesting that their substrate specificity is different and more restricted than the other cloned mammalian alpha2-fucosyltransferases. Southern blot analyses detected four related alpha2-fucosyltransferase sequences in the bovine genome while only three have been described in other species. The supernumerary entity seems to be related to the alpha2-fucosyltransferase activity which can also use type 1 and phenyl-beta-D-galactoside substrate acceptors. It was exclusively found in bovine intestinal tract. Our results show that, at least in one mammalian species, four alpha2-fucosyltransferases are present, three adding a fucose on alpha1,2 linkage on type 3/4 acceptor (Galbeta1-3GalNAc) and another able to transfer also fucose on phenyl-beta-D-galactoside and type 1 (Galbeta1-3GlcNAc) acceptors. The phylogenetic tree of the enzymes homologous to those encoded by the bovine fut1, fut2, and sec1 genes revealed two main families, one containing all the H-like proteins and the second containing all the Se-like and Sec1-like proteins. The Sec1-like family had a higher evolutionary rate than the Se-like family.

Control of O-glycan branch formation. Molecular cloning and characterization of a novel thymus-associated core 2 beta1, 6-n-acetylglucosaminyltransferase

Core 2 O-glycan branching catalyzed by UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosamine: acceptor beta1, 6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases (beta6GlcNAc-Ts) is an important step in mucin-type biosynthesis. Core 2 complex-type O-glycans are involved in selectin-mediated adhesion events, and O-glycan branching appears to be highly regulated. Two homologous beta6GlcNAc-Ts functioning in O-glycan branching have previously been characterized, and here we report a third homologous beta6GlcNAc-T designated C2GnT3. C2GnT3 was identified by BLAST analysis of human genome survey sequences. The catalytic activity of C2GnT3 was evaluated by in vitro analysis of a secreted form of the protein expressed in insect cells. The results revealed exclusive core 2 beta6GlcNAc-T activity. The product formed with core 1-para-nitrophenyl was confirmed by (1)H NMR to be core 2-para-nitrophenyl. In vivo analysis of the function of C2GnT3 by coexpression of leukosialin (CD43) and a full coding construct of C2GnT3 in Chinese hamster ovary cells confirmed the core 2 activity and failed to reveal I activity. The C2GnT3 gene was located to 5q12, and the coding region was contained in a single exon. Northern analysis revealed selectively high levels of a 5.5-kilobase C2GnT3 transcript in thymus with only low levels in other organs. The unique expression pattern of C2GnT3 suggests that this enzyme serves a specific function different from other members of the beta6GlcNAc-T gene family.

Identification and characterization of large galactosyltransferase gene families: galactosyltransferases for all functions

Enzymatic glycosylation of proteins and lipids is an abundant and important biological process. A great diversity of oligosaccharide structures and types of glycoconjugates is found in nature, and these are synthesized by a large number of glycosyltransferases. Glycosyltransferases have high donor and acceptor substrate specificities and are in general limited to catalysis of one unique glycosidic linkage. Emerging evidence indicates that formation of many glycosidic linkages is covered by large homologous glycosyltransferase gene families, and that the existence of multiple enzyme isoforms provides a degree of redundancy as well as a higher level of regulation of the glycoforms synthesized. Here, we discuss recent cloning strategies enabling the identification of these large glycosyltransferase gene families and exemplify the implication this has for our understanding of regulation of glycosylation by discussing two galactosyltransferase gene families.

Acquisition of species-specific O-linked carbohydrate chains from oviducal mucins in Rana arvalis. A case study

The extracellular matrix surrounding amphibian eggs is composed of mucin-type glycoproteins, highly O-glycosylated and plays an important role in the fertilization process. Oligosaccharide-alditols were released from the oviducal mucins of the anuran Rana arvalis by alkali-borohydride treatment in reduced conditions. Neutral and acidic oligosaccharides were fractionated by ion-exchange chromatographies and purified by HPLC. Each compound was identified by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS/MS) and permethylation analyses. This paper reports on the structures of 19 oligosaccharide-alditols, 12 of which have novel structures. These structures range in size from disaccharide to octasaccharide. Some of them are acidic, containing either a glucuronic acid or, more frequently, a sulfate group, located either at the 6 position of GlcNAc or the 3 or 4 positions of Gal. This latter sulfation is novel and has only been characterized in the species R. arvalis. This structural analysis led to the establishment of several novel carbohydrate structures, demonstrating the structural diversity and species-specificity of amphibian glycoconjugates.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of peracetylated oligosaccharides having 13C-labeled carbonyl groups in lieu of permethylation analysis for establishing linkage substitutions of sugars

Peracetylation of free hydroxyl groups in model saccharides with [13C-carbonyl]acetic anhydride resulted in additional splittings of sugar ring proton signals in NMR spectra, due to 3-bond J couplings between each acetyl carbonyl carbon and a sugar ring proton at that position. Quantification of 144 of these 3-bond coupling constants in different saccharide structures showed a range between 2.5 and 4.7 Hz, whereas all possible 4-bond couplings between sugar ring protons and acetyl carbonyl carbons were within linewidth (< 0.5 Hz). Therefore, further splitting of sugar ring proton signals in the range of 2.5-4.7 Hz upon acetylation with a [13C-carbonyl]acetyl group identifies that position as (formerly) having a free hydroxyl group. This performs the same basic function as permethylation analysis, but does not require hydrolysis of glycosidic linkages. Additionally, proton-detected 2D heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) experiments or proton-detected heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (hetCOSY) enabled ring proton-carbonyl-13C 3-bond J connectivities to be correlated with high sensitivity. Modified NMR pulse sequences are reported that include frequency selective decoupling schemes to enable coupling constants to be determined from 2D data. The tailored pulse sequences resulted in higher spectral resolution and sensitivity for [13C-carbonyl]-ring proton correlations.