Production of Glycoproteins with Asparagine-Linked N-Acetylglucosamine in Escherichia coli.

Abstract

Glycans linked to asparagine (N) residues of eukaryotic glycoproteins are typically heterogeneous. This diversity complicates the study of biological functions associated with particular glycan structures and impairs the application of glycoproteins in medicine. Several approaches have been developed to produce homogeneous glycoproteins. We describe a method to produce glycoproteins carrying N-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) through glyco-engineered E. coli cells and enzymatic treatment. N-linked GlcNAc can then be extended by existing methods to produce homogeneous glycoproteins.